
Class C> J2)/ ^. 



()0p>7ight)J^_ 



COPYRfGHT DEPOSm 



CONCRETE SILOS 



Their Advantages 
Different Types 
How to Build Them 



By 
EKS/tlANSON 



Affiliated Member Western Society of Engineers, Editor The 

Cement Era. Author "Cement Pipe and Tile," "Concrete 

Roads and Pavements," Etc. 



CHICAGO 

The; Ce:mknt Era Publishing Company 

1916 



e^^'^^ 
^ .v^^^ 



Copyright 1915 
By The Cement Era Publishing Company 




0£f27l9l5 

?)CI.A418215 



PREFACE. 

In this volume the author has attempted to bring 
together everything of value pertaining to the latest 
concrete silo construction. His investigation of the 
subject has led him to believe that there is a demand 
for such a book. While there is a large mass of 
literature on concrete silos extant, practically every 
piece of such printed matter is prepared with special 
emphasis on some particular type of construction, or on 
some particular phase of the subject. 

This volume is an attempt to bring together all the 
best things in this scattered literature, m'aking it, so 
far as possible, a complete compendium of concrete silo 
construction. For this purpose the author has drawn 
freely upon bulletins of the various cement companies 
and of the Association of American Portland Cement 
Manufacturers, as well as upon publications of the 
State Agricultural Experimental Stations, and the 
literature of the comj^anies promoting various patented 
systems. 

The demand for the book, even before it has 
appeared from the press, has been so gratifying that it 
is expected another edition will be necessary at an 
early date. The author will therefore be pleased to 
have readers advise him of any errors, inaccuracies, or 
omissions which they find. 

E. S. HANSON. 
Chicago, Oct. 15, 1915. 



CONTENTS 

Page 

Chapter I. Why Build a Silo o 

II. What a Good Silo Should Be 25 

III. How Concrete Meets the Eequirements 30 

IV. Advantage Over Other Kinds of Silos 37 

V. Size and Shape of a Silo 49 

VI. The Different Types of Concrete Silos 56 

VII. The Foundation of the Silo 59 

VIII. The Monolithic Silo 63 

IX. The Polk System 73 

X. The Monsco System 79 

XI. The Eeichert System 84 

XII. Other Monolithic Systems 89 

XIII. The Pit Silo 97 

XIV. The Metal Lath Silo 102 

XV. The Concrete Stave Silo 125 

XVI. The Concrete Block Silo 140 

XVII. Doorways, Doors, Eoof s, etc 157 

XVIII. How to Increase the Silo Business .165 

Catalog Section 175 



Concrete Silos 



CHAPTER I 

Why Build a Silo? 

The silo is not a fad. It has proven its right to a 
place in any intelligent scheme of agricultural econom- 
ics, and it has therefore come to stay. 

Coming first into existence as a mere hole in the 
ground, the silo has developed into a structure on which 
it is worth while to expend engineering ability and 
architectural skill. Many things have been attributed 
to Ca?sar and his strategists as the result of military 
necessity in the prosecution of his famous campaigns. 
Some of these are recorded in his own Commentaries, 
while others have perhaps a less stable historical foun- 
dation on which to rest. Our reading of the Seven 
Books is too far in the past to allow of a definite state- 
ment as to whether the famous general himself records 
the iwe of pit silos for the preservation of forage along 
his lines of march ; but such have been attributed to 
him, and the statement sounds plausible, at any rate. 

The silo has been likened to a giant fruit jar. Ap- 
parently this idea, too, is not a new one, for it is stated 
that the early Egyptians, many years before the Chris- 
tian era, put a part of their crops in large stone jars 
for preservation, covering them as tightly as possible 
to exclude the air. The Mound Builders and other 

(5) 



6 Concrete Silos 

Iprehistoric tribes adopted similar expedients, as is 
proven by the relics which are unearthed from time to 
time, while some of the barbaric tribes of the present 
day build circular bins of interwoven reeds and plaster 
them on both sides with clay, with a thatched roof for 
a cover. 

The following reasons for the popularity of silage 
are given by T. E. Woodward, of the Dairy Division 
of the U. S. Department of Agriculture : 

(1) Silage is the best and cheapest form in which 
a succulent feed can be provided for winter use. 

(2) An acre of corn can be placed in the silo at a 
cost not exceeding that of shocking, husking, grind- 
ing and shredding. 

(3) Crops can be put into the silo during weather 
that could not be utilized in making hay or curing fod- 
der; in some localities this is an important considera- 
tion. 

(4) A given amount of corn in the form of silage 
will produce more milk than the same amount when 
shocked and dried. 

(5) There is less waste in feeding silage than in 
feeding fodder. Good silage properly fed is all con- 
sumed. 

(6) Silage is very palatable. 

(7) Silage, like other succulent feeds, has a bene- 
ficial effect upon the digestive organs. 

(8) More stock can be kept on a given area of 
land when silage is the basis of the ration. 

(9) On account of the smaller cost for labor, silage 
can be used for supplementing pastures more econom- 
ically than can soiling crops, unless only a small 
amount of supplementary feed is required. 

(10) Converting the corn crop into silage clears 
the land and leaves it ready for another crop sooner 
than if the corn is shocked and husked. 



r 



oncrete Silos 



Another and even longer list of advantages of en- 
silage is given by the experts of the Missouri Agricul- 
tural Experiment Station. They are as follows : 

(1) Harvesting corn as silage saves from 35 to 40 
per cent of the crop that would otherwise be wasted. 

(2) Silage adds palatableness to the ration. 

(3) Silage adds succulency to the ration. 

(4) Silage serves to keep the digestive tracts of 
animals in good condition. 

(5) Silage replaces high-priced hay. 

(6) Silage serves to cheapen the ration. 

(7) When silage is fed, more feed is eaten, hence 
more manure. 

(8) The man who feeds silage uses a manure 
spreader. 

(9) The feeding of silage means more intelligence 
in feeding operations. 

(10') The feeding of silage results in more intelli- 
gence in other farm operations. 

(11) The man who feeds silage will feed with it 
concentrates rich in protein, and leguminous liay of 
some kind. Hence, not only more manure, but a bet- 
ter quality. 

(12) The man who feeds concentrates and legu- 
minous hays with silage is apt to try to grow legumes 
in the rotation. Hence, a better and more productive 
soil. 

(13) Silage is a good feed for the general farmer. 

(14) Silage is a good feed for dairy cows. 

(15) Beef can be produced more economically 
when silage forms a part of the ration. 

(16) Silage is a good feed for calves and stocker 
cattle. 

(17) Silage is a good feed for breeding cattle. 

(18) Silage is a good feed for fattening lambs. 

(19) Silage is a good feed as a part ration for 
brood ewes if fed intelligently. 

(20) Silage can be fed successfully as a part ration 
to mules. 



8 Concrete Silos 

(21) Silage can be fed successfully as a part ra- 
tion for horses. 

(22) Silage may be fed as a conditioner to swine 
in general, and as a part ration to old brood sows. 

(23) Silage mixed with wheat and potatoes, equal 
parts, and boiled in water makes a good ration for 
poultry. 

(24) Silage takes up less room in storage than 
either hay or corn fodder. 

As to the kind of crops which can be preserved in 
the silo to advantage, it has been stated that anything 
which does not have a hollow stem will make good 
silage. This statement has a reasonable measure of 
truth. The reason that crops with hollow stems have 
been excluded is, that it is impossible to get the air 
pressed out of the stems, and on account of the pres- 
ence of this air, decomposition is sure to take place. 

The fact remains, however, that corn is pre-emi- 
nently the crop for the silo. As stated by Prof. C. H. 
Eckles, of the Missouri Experiment Station, and borne 
out by the statements of many other authorities, the 
total yield of nutrients per acre with this crop is greater 
than ordinarily secured from any other. It has the 
further advantage of packing well to exclude the air, 
and contains the proper amount of sugar to form acids 
needed to preserve without becoming sour. 

An acre of corn as silage requires much less room 
for storage than an acre of corn harvested in any other 
way. When the harvesting is done the work is mainly 
over. The field is left clear for any fall sowing. Drilled 
corn yielding 75 bushels to the acre, when cut and 
shocked, eleven shocks to the acre, covers about 3 per 
cent of the area of the field. The shocks remain in the 
way of the next crop. Before the corn is husked out, 
bad, rainy, snowy weather often comes. The stalks, 



Concrete Silos 



9 





Two of the Four Silos on the Dairy Farm of Thomas A. Edison, 
at Stewartsville, N. J. 



blades and shuck become so damaged from the weather 
that they are not worth much as a feed, even if they 
were always fed in a dry, clean place where stock 
could not tramp them into the ground in wet, muddy 
weather. Tlie process of husking, throwing the corn 
on the ground, pitching it into a wagon and out again, 
and then out of the crib into the same wagon before 
it can be fed, is not only an expensive one, making the 
farm labor problem still harder to solve, but it is a 
wasteful one. Much corn damages from the weather. 



10 Concrete Silos 

from rats and mice and from shelling in handling so 
many times. 

It costs on an average about 12^ cents to put corn 
into the shock and about 121^ cents to shuck it out. 
The stover (stalk without the ear), sells on the average 
for about 12% cents a shock. This is an expensive 
operation, even when it is the last resort, but on some 
farms it is a common practice. 

However, when a man has no silo in which to har- 
vest com and his crop rotation is such that corn is to 
be followed by wheat, or some other fall sowing, about 
the only thing he can do is to cut the corn and put it 
into the shock. This is especially true if a man is a 
grain farmer and cannot forage the corn off. 

Again it may be stated that while silage can be fed 
to practically all farm animals to good advantage, it is 
pre-eminently the ideal ration for cattle, and especially 
the dairy eow. It thus forms an important link in 
connecting up one of our largest farm crops with the 
wide-spread and important industry of cattle raising 
and dairying. 

The digestive organs of animals that chew the cud 
are so formed as to require comparatively juicy and 
bulky food. The cow cannot, therefore, thrive on ex- 
clusively dry food so well as can the horse. The near- 
est an ideal food that can be obtained for the dairy 
cow is good pasture; but for more than six months in 
the year green pasture is not available in large sec- 
tions of this country. The best substitutes to use dur- 
ing this period are corn silage and such roots as man- 
gels and turnips. Corn yields an average of twice as 
much dry matter per acre as do root crops, and, since 
the latter require much more labor, which in this 



Concrete Silos 11 

country is relatively expensive, silage is far more 
economical. 

The dairy cow has been likened unto a factory — a 
factory for the production of milk and butter. She 
eats her feed, converts it into blood and from the blood 
Avhich passes through the mammary gland or udder, 
she extracts the milk. The output of this factory, like 
that of any other factory, depends much upon the 
amount and quality of raw material consumed. No 
cow can produce a large quantity of milk and butter 
unless she has the capacity and consumes a large quan- 
tity of good feed. Since it is impossible to feed fat 
into milk or change the average per cent of butter fat 
in a cow's milk by the kind, amount or quality of feed, 
the thing for us to do is to feed her in such a way as 
to enable her to produce the maximum amount of milk. 
From more milk we can get more butter fat. 

In order to get a cow to consume large quantities 
of feed, the feed must be good and palatable. Pala- 
tableness means much. Every feeder of live stock of 
any kind recognizes the importance of keeping the ap- 
petites of animals good. 

During the process of fermentation of silage in the 
silo, the corn plant is rendered more digestible and 
more palatable than dry shock corn, and a flavor very 
acceptable to dairy cows is produced. After cows have 
been fed silage, they will stretch out their backs and 
turn their heads in the direction of the feeder the min- 
ute he starts toward them Avith a box of silage. So 
well do cows relish silage, they will eat more of it 
than they do of dry fodder or even of green corn. This 
is a point in favor of silage, because every cow must 
eat so much feed for the daily maintenance of her 
body. After this maintenance requirement is met, all 



12 Concrete Silos 

excess food can be used for the production of milk and 
butter. However, some cows do not make use of this 
excess food in this way. They use it for surplus fat 
and flesh, thereby gaining in weight. The chief dif- 
ference between dairy cows is shown in the difference 
in the disposition that they make of their food over 
and above that required for maintenance. Now, if 
every cow would absolutely refuse to produce a drop 
of milk until after her daily body maintenance require- 
ments were met, some of us would learn a little faster 
how to feed for milk production. But not every, or 
even any cow, makes this demand. There are three 
classes of cows when both cows and the feed they are 
given are considered : 

Class 1. Cows that receive more than a maintenance 
ration and use the excess for the production of milk 
and butter. 

Class 2. Cows that receive more than a maintenance 
ration and use the excess for the production of surplus 
flesh and fat, storing it away on their bodies, growing 
heavier every day. 

Class 3. Cows that receive less than a maintenance 
ration and have to draw upon the food nutrients al- 
ready stored on their bodies in order to keep up a flow 
of milk, thus growing thinner and thinner in flesh every 
day. 

This third or last named class is seldom found in 
the herd of the man who feeds silage. He feeds as a 
rule an abundance of palatable, succulent silage in 
combination Avith other feeds richer in protein content. 
The protein in the ration goes to make bone, muscle 
and the curd in the milk. 

Silage is a roughage. RuDr'iants require a greater 
per cent of roughage in the rai )n than do other classes 



Concrete Silos 13 

of animals. Corn silage comes the nearest to baving 
all of the properties of good green grass of any of the 
feeds we have. We can have it in the winter time, too, 
when grass is gone and other feeds are dry. We can 
have it in the summer time when the grass is short in 
dry periods of drought. Silage, above all other feeds, 
enables tlie dairyman to maintain almost unbroken 
summer conditions, conditions under which the maxi- 
mum amount of milk and butter is produced. 

A feed containing a large amount of water in the 
form of natural plant juices is not only more easily 
digested, but is also more palatable and, besides, serves 
the useful purpose of keeping the whole system of the 
animal in good condition. A silage-fed animal is rarely 
troubled with constipation or other digestive disturb- 
ances, the coat is noticeably sleek and soft, and the 
skin is soft and pliable. 

No rough feed is more palatable than good corn 
silage. Sometimes, however, a cow will not eat silage 
readily until she has lacquired a taste for it; this may 
require several days. But silage is not peculiar in this 
respect, for it has been observed that range horses or 
cattle shipped into the corn belt refuse corn the first 
time it is offered to them. The quality of palatability 
is of great importance, as it induces a large consump- 
tion and stimulates the secretion of digestive juices. 

The advantage of silage in the dairy industry was 
at one time put into a forcible statement by W. B. 
Barney, state dairy commissioner of Iowa. Among 
other things he said: 

The dairy cow is the most economical producer of 
human food on the farm if fed and cared for in an in- 
telligent manner. The milk of a cow that produces 
10,000 pounds yearly contains 8,710 pounds of water, 



14 Concrete Silos 

290 pounds of fat, 485 pounds of sugar, 340 pounds 
of protein and 75 pounds of ash. Therefore, it is evi- 
dent that the cow must consume large quantities of 
succulent feed to produce milk economically. The 
grass in summer provides her with such feed, but if 
the farmer is without a silo his cows are deprived of 
succulent feed for winter use. No man keeping six or 
more cows can afford to be Avithout a silo, regardless of 
its first cost. 

Today the silo is no longer an experiment, and prac- 
tically all the leading dairymen of the country are 
using them. Some seven or eight thousand new silos 
have been built in Iowa alone during the past year, 
which is sufficient evidence that they are a success. 
We are not suff'ering today in the rural districts for 
the want of finding new things so much as we are for 
the simple application of the things we already know. 
Practically every farmer admits that the silo is a good 
thing, but he puts off until tomorrow what he should 
do today, and the waste of crop continues from year 
to year. In the corn belt where stalks are allowed to 
stand in the field, 40 per cent of the crop is wasted. 
It has been estimated that an acre of corn put up in a 
silo has a value of $45, while the same standing in the 
field and husked has a value of $27. Thus it can be 
seen that the silo nearly doubles the value of the corn 
crop. 

In feeding silage with alfalfa or clover hay we 
have practically a balanced ration all raised on the 
farm. Experiments have been conducted at the Kan- 
sas and other stations which show that the grain ra- 
tion can be cut down one-half the usual amount where 
alfalfa or clover hay and silage are fed. Silage always 
plays a prominent part in the economical ration of most 
farm animals, and may the day be not far distant 
when the silo will be as common a sight on the Iowa 
farm as the corn crib is today. 

In the Central West corn is hailed as the king of 
all cereals, forming the backbone of the rations of the 
majority of our farm animals. By placing corn in the 



Concrete Silos 15 

silo the stalk as well as the ear is preserved, thus mak- 
ing the whole corn plant available for feeding pur- 
poses. Practically 40 per cent of the feeding value of 
the corn plant lies in the stalk, leaves and husks, the 
remainder in the ear. Therefore, if only the ears are 
gathered, much of the remaining 40 per cent of the 
crop remains in the field to bother the farmer in pre- 
paring his seedbed for the following year. As corn 
should be cut for the silo before the lower leaves are 
lost there is practically no waste. About twice the 
amount of dry matter can be stored in the form of 
silage as corn fodder. A cubic foot of hay in the mow 
contains about 4.3 pounds of dry matter, while a cubic 
foot of silage contains 8.9 pounds of dry matter. A 
cubic foot of space in the silo is, therefore, worth more 
than twice an equal space in the mow. 

The digestive organs of animals that chew their 
cud are so formed as to require comparatively juicy 
and bulky feeds. The cow cannot thrive on dry feed 
as well as the horse. The ideal food for the dairy cow 
is green pasture, but for a number of months during 
the year she is deprived of this feed. The best sub- 
stitutions for green pasture are root crops and corn 
silage. As silage yields twice as much dry matter per 
acre as roots and does not require as much labor, silage 
is by far the more economical wherever corn can be 
raised. Silage has a laxative effect upon the animal 
and aids in maintaining a healthy and vigorous condi- 
tion. 

The population of the United States is doubling 
every thirty years, which means that the farms will 
gradually become smaller and that more feed must be 
produced per acre. The high price of land also de- 
mands that more intensive methods must be used to 
obtain a dividend in proportion to the value of the soil. 
Practice tells us that one acre of corn placed in the 
silo will yield enough feed to supply a milk cow 40 
pounds of silage for 500 days or 4 cows 125 days. 

Another important factor is the reduction in stor- 
age space of silage compared to that required for hay. 



16 Concrete Silos 

One ton of clover hay occupies 400 cubic feet, while 8 
tons of silage can be placed in the same space. The 
clover hay contains 886 pounds of digestible nutrients, 
while the silage contains 2,064 pounds. Thus the corn 
silage occupying the same space as the clover hay con- 
tains two and a half times the digestible nutrients. 

Silage as a milk producer compares verj favorably 
with the other more concentrated and more expensive 
feeds. Being a very succulent and palatable feed, it 
can be very aptly termed the great substitute for pas- 
ture in the corn belt. We all look forward to the in- 
creased milk flow when the cows lare turned to pasture 
in the spring after having received nothing but dry 
feed for six months. The milk cow is a sensitive ani- 
mal at hard work and should be nurtured on the best 
feed possible. Silage makes possible a succulent feed 
for winter use, spurring the appetite of the cow and 
causing her to relish her feed in winter as well as 
summer. 

Several years ago at the Ohio Experiment Station 
the substitution of silage for grain in the ration proved 
very successful. Silage was used to take the place of 
over half the grain ration and proved to be much 
cheaper. The silage ration produced milk for 68 cents 
per 100 pounds and butter fat at the rate of 13 cents per 
pound. The grain ration produced milk at $1.05 per 
100 pounds and butter fat for 22 cents per pound. This 
made the profit from, the silage ration $5.86 per month, 
and of the grain ration $2.46 per month. 

There is an occasional suggestion that milk from 
silage fed cows has a disagreeable flavor. In order to 
determine what foundation, if any, there was for this 
belief, a series of experiments was sometime ago un- 
dertaken by the Agricultural Experimental Station of 
the University of Illinois. 

For the purpose of these experiments, the Univer- 
sity dairy herd was divided into two lots, one of which 
was fed 40 pounds of corn silage per cow per day, to- 



Concrete Silos 17 

gether with a small amount of clover hay and grain. 
The feed for the other lot consisted entirely of clover 
hay and grain. The milk from both the lots was cared 
for in exactly the same manner and was standardized 
to 4 per cent of butter fat in order that there might 
be no difference in the flavor of the two lots of milk on 
account of the variation in this respect. 

The people whose tastes were consulted with re- 
gard to the milk were divided into three classes : ladies, 
men of the faculty, and students. 

In one case the silage had been fed one hour before 
milking. Of the 29 ladies who sampled this milk, 10 
preferred the silage milk, 14 the non-silage, and 5 had 
no choice. Of the men of the faculty, 27 preferred the 
silage milk, 20 the non-silage, and 7 had no choice. Of 
the students, 20 preferred the silage milk, 4 non-silage, 
and 4 had no choice. 

A preference for silage milk was indicated by 51 
per cent of the 111 tests made when silage was fed 
one hour before milking. When silage was fed at time 
of milking, 71 per cent preferred silage milk, and when 
fed after milking 51 per cent reported the same pref- 
erence. Of the total tests, amounting to 372 persons, 
223 preferred silage milk, 109 non-silage milk and 40 
had no choice. 

In making an investigation of the entire silo ques- 
tion, The Tiventieth Century Farmer, of Omaha, says 
that it found one man who, although having three silos 
on his place, claimed that silage was too expensive a 
fped for profitable use, and that he would not recom- 
mend other farmers to erect silos. He told the investi- 
gator that alfalfa was a much better and cheaper feed 
and he believed better results could be obtained by 
feeding more alfalfa and less silage. He was discov- 



18 Concrete Silos 

ered, however, plowing up an alfalfa patch, putting in 
some com, and not feeding any new alfalfa that season. 
This resulted in an investigation, which seemed to show 
that the man's statements were prompted by selfish 
motives, rather than by his real feeling in the ciase. It 
was found that he had bought up during the winter, 
from his neighbors who did not have silos, and were 
thus compelled to sell, a lot of calves and young cattle, 
feeding them on the silage he had stored in his silos 
and making a very nice profit on the deal. If his neigh- 
bors were encouraged to build silos the possibility of 
his again taking advantage of their unfortunate cir- 
cumstance would be very slight indeed. 

One line of investigation followed by The Twentieth 
Century Farmer was to find out whether or not a much 
larger percentage of cattle could be maintained on the 
farms of the country by the more extended use of the 
silo and the feeding of silage year after year. This 
question was therefore asked of numerous farmers of 
from one to seven or eight years' experience in feeding 
silage, what percentage more of cattle could be kept 
profitably on their farms if they had sufficient silo room 
in which they could be sure to have silage to supple- 
ment the pastures in dry periods, and also to have 
plenty of this feed for winter time. While none of 
them had definite figures they could give, they all had 
some ideas based on their feeding experience. The 
answers to these questions from probably 50 different 
silo users have been that they could keep from 50 to 
100 per cent more cattle by the use of the silo than 
they could without. 

Silage stands first in rank of all the roughages for 
finishing cattle, says T. E. Woodward, of the U. S. 
Department of Agriculture. Formerly, during the era 



Concrete Silos 19 

of cheap corn and other concentrates, little attention 
was given to the roughage, as it was usiially considered 
merely a ''filler" and of very little economic value in 
feeding. No especial care was taken in selecting any 
particular kind, nor was the quality of it seriously con- 
sidered. As the prices of the concentrated feedstuffs 
advanced, the feeder looked about for methods of 
cheapening the cost of producing beef, and soon found 
this could be accomplished by using judgment in select- 
ing his roughage with respect to the grain fed. This 
has continued until at the present time the roughage 
receives as much attention as the concentrated feed, 
and has been made to take the place of a large amount 
of the latter. The feeding of silage came into general 
use with the advent of expensive grain and is becoming 
more popular each year. With the present prices of 
feedstuffs, there is hardly a ration used for feeding cat- 
tle which cannot be cheapened by the use of this suc- 
culent feed. By combining it with other feeds, the 
efficiency of the ration is increased to such an extent 
that the amount of the daily gains is invariably 
greater and the cost of producing a pound of gain is 
lessened. The heaviest daily gains are usually made 
during the first stage of the feeding period, and silage 
can then be used to advantage in large quantities with 
a small amount of grain, but as the feeding progresses 
the amount of silage should be lessened and the grain 
increased. In some places the price of hay and stover 
is so high that the greater the proportion of silage 
used in the ration the more profitable is the feeding. 

Silage is a quick finishing roughage in that it pro- 
duces large daily gains and produces a glossy coat and 
a soft, pliable skin. Moreover, it can be used to advan- 



20 Concrete Silos 

tage at times for carrying cattle for a longer time so 
as to pass over a period of depression in the market, or 
to carry the cattle along in thrifty condition so they 
can be finished at a later period. 

For many years the belief was general that cattle 
which received silage as a major portion of the rough- 
age would have to be kept in warm barns and not ex- 
posed to the cold. While they do need protection from 
the cold winds 'and rains and need a dry place to lie 
down, it has been clearly demonstrated that warm 
barns are not only unnecessary, but that fattened cat- 
tle make both larger and cheaper gains when fed in 
the open sheds than when confined in barns. 

Silage can be profitably used to supplement the 
pastures for steers during a time of drought, when they 
are being finished for market. 

The general impression that choice or prime car- 
casses cannot be made by the use of succulent feed is 
equally untrue, as the silage-fed cattle usually make 
more desirable carcasses than cattle fed a similar 
ration except that silage was replaced by one of the 
coarse fodders. There is no appreciable difference in 
the percentage of marketable meat that steers will 
dress out which have been finished on a silage ration 
and .a dry ration. The meat seems equally bright and 
the fat as well intermixed with the lean. 

A number of the agricultural experiment stations 
have conducted experiments at various times to ascer- 
tain the value of silage as a rough feed. At the Mis- 
souri Station, some experiments were made with two- 
year-old fattening steers, under direction of Prof. H. 
D. Allison. Without going into the details of this ex- 
periment it will be necessary only to give a few para- 



Concrete Silos 21 

graphs from the summary made by Professor Allison. 
He says : 

A ton of silage, as used in this experiment, was ap- 
proximately equal to one-half ton of clover hay. 

Estimated on the basis of net profit per steer, a ton 
of dry matter in the form of com silage yielded 50.3 
per cent greater value than a ton of dry matter in the 
form of shock corn. 

It is evident from the data given that it takes less 
grain in the form of shelled corn to fatten two-year-old 
steers when corn silage composes a part of the ration. 

A superior finish is obtained on fattening cattle 
which are marketed in the spring when silage composes 
a part of the ration. 

A similar experiment at the Iowa station brought 
practically the same results. Regarding it. Prof. John 
M. Evvard stated that ''the silage-fed cattle, without 
a single exception, returned greater profit than when 
clover was fed as the only roughage. By using silage 
the gains in weight were cheapened and the profit per 
steer increased." 

Some very valuable cattle feeding tests have been 
conducted at the Pennsylvania State Experiment Sta- 
tion, among them an experiment to determine to what 
extent silage could profitably be used in steer feeding. 
This experiment lasted 126 days. The results of the 
test are given in detail by Prof. W. A. Cochel, in Bulle- 
tin No. 118, issued by the Pennsylvania station. 

The results of this experiment are interesting at 
this point, not only because silage formed a part of the 
ration used, but on account of some valuable data de- 
rived, showing that during the early part of the feed- 
ing period some ear corn or shelled corn can profitably 
be replaced by silage. 



22 Concrete Silos 

In his Bulletin Professor Cochel says: "Experi- 
ments at this and other stations have shown that the 
addition of corn silage to the rations that are usually 
fed to fattening animals, results in 'cheaper and more 
rapid gains in the feed lot, and that its succulent nature 
causes cattle to shed the hair early and to look more 
attractive than those fed exclusively on dry feeds. A 
further advantage in Pennsylvania is that an excellent 
quality of corn silage can be produced in localities 
where the season is too short for corn to mature." 

The value of corn silage as a part of the ration in 
fattening cattle is also shown from the results of a 
feeding test conducted at the Indiana Experiment Sta- 
tion. The results of this test are shown by Dean J. H. 
Skinner and Prof. F. G. King, in their Bulletin No. 163. 
These gentlemen state that : 

The addition of corn silage to a ration for fattening 
cattle decreased the consumption of shelled corn in 
amounts closely approximating the grain content of 
the silage consumed by the cattle. 

The addition of corn silage once daily to a ration 
of shelled corn, cottonseed meal and clover hay, re- 
duced the cost of gains $1.83 per hundred pounds and 
increased the total profits $11.19 per steer. 

The substitution of corn silage for clover hay in 
a ration of shelled corn, cottonseed meal and clover 
hay reduced the cost of gain $4.35 per hundred pounds 
and increased the profits $17.97 per steer. 

The more nearly corn silage replaced the clover hay 
in the ration the cheaper was the gain and the greater 
the profit. 

Corn silage produced a very rapid finish on the 
cattle. 

The Missouri Experiment Station has secured from 
a large number of farmers in that state their experi- 
ence in the feeding of silage. 



Concreta Silos 23 

In reply to the following question: ''By feeding 
silage do you find your feed bill for the year is any 
less than when silage is not fed?" 196 correspondents 
out of 200' answered, ''Yes;" two answered, "I don't 
know," and two said, " I can't tell yet." One hundred 
and fourteen of these men feed cattle. 

Out of 114 replies to the following question: "Do 
you find that it requires less grain to fatten a steer 
when silage forms a part of the ration?" 112 answered, 
"Yes;" one replied, "I do not know," and one said, 
"I have not had enough experience to enable me to 
answer this question." 

In answer to the question: "Do you find that it 
costs less to fatten a steer when silage forms a part 
of the ration?" 112 answered, "Yes," two answered, 
"I don't know." 

The correspondent cattle feeders were also asked 
the question: "What per cent has the feeding of silage 
lessened the cost of production of beef on your farm?" 
Out of 79 replies, there was but one who was willing to 
say that there was no decrease in cost ; 17 answered 25 
per cent ; 10 answered 33 1-3 per cent ; 12 answered 50 
per cent ; while other replies were scattered over a 
wide range of gain. 

A stock raiser writing to The Independent Farmer 
has this to say of the feeding of silage : 

We consider the silo as necessary as our barns. In 
fact, we could not afford to do business on high-priced 
land without such economical feed as silage. It enables 
us to keep up a heavy milk flow from our cows at a 
very low cost. During the past year, in our cow test- 
ing association, one of our Holsteins returned us a 
profit of $131 over and above her feed, and we sold our 
silage to her at $3 per ton. Our entire herd returned 
us an average profit of $101.05, over and above their 



24 Concrete Silos 

feed. This does not include the calf, manure, nor skim 
milk. These very gratifying results to us would have 
been impossible if we had not had a silo. We use 
silage a great deal to supplement our pasture. In fact, 
this coming summer we are going to feed silage and 
alfalfa the year around. We feed silage to everything 
on our farm. Brood sows especially relish a light feed 
each day, and during the suckling period it greatly 
stimulates the milk flow. Our hens are considerably 
better because of their receiving a liberal ration of 
silage. Our brood mares and colts have for their noon- 
day meal during the winter about fifteen pounds of 
this excellent feed. In fact, we never had our colts 
grow better than since we started feeding silage and 
alfalfa. For all classes of live stock these two great 
feeds go hand in hand. 



CHAPTER II 

What a Good Silo Should Be 

Before determining whether any particular type of 
silo is good or bad, it is necessary first to decide what 
are the requirements which make for efficiency in silo 
construction. It is only by applying certain standards 
to any article that we can decide on its fitness or un- 
fitness for the purpose for which it was intended. It 
is therefore essential that everyone who has to do with 
silos, including the farmer, the builder, the agricul- 
tural engineer and economist, and the promoter of 
silo construction, should know how to value a silo to 
determine whether it will do the work expected of it 
and justify the expenditure of money which it requires. 

Let us then set down the principal requirements 
for an efficient silo. It should be : 

1. Airtight, 

2. Moisture proof, 

3. Fire proof, 

4. Vermin proof, 

5. Frost proof, 

6. Strong, 

7. Durable, 

8. Cheap as to maintenance cost, 

9. Round in shape, 

10. Smooth as to interior w^alls. 

Having thus arbitrarily stated our standards, at 

least most of which will be recognized as correct by 

anyone who understands the purpose of the silo, it will 

nevertheless be worth while to take up each one of 

(25) 



26 Concrete Silos 

these separately and determine the grounds of its 
importance. 

(1) Airtightness. It is quite customary, as we 
have already done in the first chapter of this volume, 
to liken a silo to a giant fruit jar. And whether can- 
ning is being done in the home or on an extensive com- 
mercial scale in a canning factory, it is recognized as 
of prime importance that the contents of the can shall 
be sealed positively from the air. For this purpose a 
material which is absolutely airtight is used — glass in 
one instance, and tin in the other — ^and the seal is made 
in one case with a rubber gasket and in the other with 
a solder joint. The demand for the exclusion of air 
has a perfectly well recognized scientific basis. The 
spoiling of fruit or vegetables in a can, or the spoiling 
of silage in a silo by rotting, is simply a bacteriological 
action and will not take place unless oxygen be pres- 
ent to support the organisms which destroy the con- 
tents of the receptacle. 

(2) Imperviousness to Moisture. It is necessary 
that the walls of a silo be impervious, not only to ex- 
clude moisture from the outside, which at times might 
enter in such quantities as to do considerable damage 
to the contents, but also to preclude the possibility of 
the natural juices in the silage from being lost. As 
previously pointed out, one of the advantages of silage 
is the fact that these juices are retained rather than 
being allowed to evaporate, as in the case of ordinary 
h.ay. So the silo which approaches closest to the ideal 
will be the one which retains the contents in as nearly 
its original condition as possible. 

(3) Fireproof ness. In addition to the value of the 
silo itself, the contents of the silo can perhaps be 
taken at a value of about $5.00 per ton as an average 



Concrete Silos 27 

figure. Assuming that one has a silo 16 feet in diame- 
ter and 40 feet high, the contents of this silo when full 
will weigh about 180 tons and will thus be worth about 
$900. The situation is easily imaginable, however, 
where the value of the contents of the silo could 
scarcely be estimated in dollars and cents — a situation 
where, if it w^ere to be destroyed, the feeding value of 
its contents could be replaced only through much 
trouble and financial distress. Add to this fact that 
other consideration which is too lightly recognized, 
namely, that a fire on a farm is one of the most hope- 
less things in the world, placing everything in its wake 
practically at its mercy until its ravages are exhausted, 
and it is easy to understand why fireproofness is placed 
as one of the essentials of the ideal silo. A report of 
the fire marshal of Iowa shows that 480 barns were 
destroyed by fire in that state in a single year. 

(4) Exclusion of Vermin. Not taking into consid- 
eration the destruction of the silage which may be ac- 
complished by rats and other pests, it is necessary, in 
order to maintain the qualities enumerated under head- 
ings 1 and 2 above, that the construction of a silo be 
such as to exclude these animals. The silo cannot ex- 
clude air and moisture if it is of such a construction 
that rats or other animals can make holes through 
which they can run in and out freely. 

(5) Exclusion of Frost. This is a consideration 
which will be a vital one in some latitudes, while in 
other parts of the country, where the winters are less 
severe, it is not of such important consideration. It is 
well recognized, of course, that frozen silage should not 
be fed to animals. The type of construction, therefore, 
which can completely exclude the frost, or at least re- 



28 Concrete Silos 

duce the amount of frozen silage to the minimum, is the 
efficient type to build. 

(6) Strength. Experiments have shown, as noted 
in another chapter of this book, that the bursting pres- 
sure on a silo wall is 11 pounds per square foot for each 
foot of depth of silage ; that is, in a silo built to a 
height of 20 feet, the bursting pressure at the bottom 
of the silo is 220 pounds per square foot. In addition 
to taking care of this inside pressure, the silo must 
also be sufficiently strong to withstand storms of vari- 
ous kinds. Winds of high velocity and much force are 
not uncommon and ^are especially prevalent in those 
parts of the countiy where the largest number of 
silos is likely to be built; and as climatic disturb- 
ances of this kind are more frequent in the spring 
and early summer, when the silo is likely to be empty, 
it is quite necessary that the silo itself have sufficient 
stability to meet these storms without any dependence 
upon the contents to weight it down. 

(7) Durability. By this term is meant the ability 
of the silo to continue in service without -appreciable 
impairment during a long term of years. The absolute 
cost of any structure is not the initial expenditure, but 
the cost per year through its period of usefulness. If 
for instance, a silo costing $240 has a life of 40 years, 
the capital investment is $6.00 per year. On the other 
hand, if a silo costing $60.00 has a life of but 4 years, 
the capital investment is $15 per year. 

(8) Maintenance. This is a question which must 
be considered in close connection with that of dura- 
bility. The structure in order to be efficient must not 
only entail a reasonable capital investment per year 
of life, but must also be as free as possible from main- 
tenance cost. A silo which requires considerable time 



Concrete Silos 29 

spent upon it each year to nuaintain it in reasonably 
good condition is not as close to the ideal as we should 
be able to get. For one thing this maintenance is an 
annoyance and an expense, and for anotlier thing it is 
likely to be frequently neglected, thus reducing the 
preserving power of the silo. 

(9) Shape. The cylindrical silo is most econom- 
ical of material, easiest to provide with resistance to 
working strains, easiest to fill. The absence of corners 
makes it practically impossible for air pockets to form 
if reasonable care is exercised in filling. 

(10) Smoothness of Interior Walls. [By having the 
interior walls smooth and free from ledges or offsets, 
the silage will settle down perfectly, thus effectually 
excluding the air and also .allowing the largest pos- 
sible amount of silage to be placed. 



CHAPTER III 
How Concrete Meets the Requirements 

Having pointed out in Chapter II the standards of 
efficiency by which any silo must be judged, it is of 
interest to note how completely concrete as a building 
material fulfills all these requirements. 

Concrete can, in the first place, be made both air- 
tight and moisture proof. It is well known that the 
composition of concrete can be governed to suit the 
particular requirements in any case. If it is desired 
to make it impervious to both air and moisture, it is 
only necessary to so proportion the various sizes of 
aggregates and so regulate the amount of cement that 
dense and impervious concrete will result. 

If it is desirable to further insure the non-porous 
nature of the concrete, it may have added to it some 
other ingredient for making it still more dense. There 
are ^a large number of such products on the market, 
perhaps most of which will answer very well the pur- 
pose for which they are intended. 

The same result can also be attained by giving the 
concrete a surface treatment, either of a cement wash 
or of some proprietary pore-filling compound. There 
are also a number of these on the market, some of 
which have a bituminous or asphaltic base and could 
be used only on the interior walls, while others have a 
pleasing appearance, or are absolutely colorless, and 
could be used exteriorly. 

It is generally conceded that concrete itself can, 
if given proper attention, be made sufficiently dense 

(30) 



Cancrete Silos 



31 



for all practical purposes; but with the addition of 
one or the other of these methods of excluding )air and 
moisture, there can be no doubt whatever of the effi- 
ciency of concrete for silo construction so far as these 
qualities are concerned. 

Concrete has proved its fireproof qualities on so 
many different occasions, and in so many different situ- 
ations, that it is scarcely necessary to go farther than 
a mere statement of the case. There are on record 




A Silo Which Withstood Fire on Farm of John H. McCoy, 
Harrisville, Pa. 

instances of a large number of silos which have suc- 
cessfully withstood the ravages of fire where all other 
surrounding buildings have been destroyed. In addi- 
tion to saving the silo itself, concrete is such a poor 
conductor of heat that if silo openings are properly 
protected, the contents of the silo will also be saved 
in good condition. 

Concrete is proof against the ^attacks of vermin. 
There is no material which offers stronger resistance 
to the attacks of rats and other pests than concrete. 

Concrete will give as good a protection against 



32 



Concrete Silos 



frosts as any other material. Of course this is a mat- 
ter which varies greatly with the latitude, so that 
while in some localities frost does not have to be con- 
sidered, there are other places where it is almost im- 
possible to exclude frost entirely. In these latter locali- 
ties it has been found that a double concrete wall with 
an air space intervening will reduce the destruction 
of silage by frost to a minimum. In fact, it is safe to 
say that there is no latitude where corn can be raised 
where a silo of this kind, if properly constructed, and 
with openings protected, will not keep the silage in 
practically perfect condition. 




After a Cyclone Near Georgetown, Kentucky, in Which 81 Barns 
Were Destroyed in a Single County 



Concrete Silos 33 

In this connection, it might be well to suggest that 
frozen silage, which is often attributed to frost getting 
through the walls, is frequently caused hy insufficient 
protection at the top. The fact that this freezing is 
only around the wall does not disprove this statement. 
The silage is of course colder next to the wall than it 
is in the middle of a silo, and with the loss of heat 
from above, the outside ring will naturally freeze first. 
As each day's silage is removed, the freezing continues 
on down, and the farmer believes that the silage is 
frozen for its entire depth. Investigation, however, 
would in many cases show that this is not so, but that 
it is frozen only ^a few inches below the surface. 

As to strength, concrete is also subject to the will 
of the builder. By the addition of a sufficient amount 
of steel, he can build it to withstand any desired 
strain. 

One of the pre-eminent qualities of concrete is dur- 
ability. When once built, and built right, it is prac- 
tically indestructible. It is sufficiently heavy to main- 
tain its position against winds or other elemental forces, 
and it is not affected by age, except that as it grows 
older, it grows stronger. 

The objection has often been raised against cement 
that it is affected deleteriously by the acids in the 
silage. This contention has never been proven and 
there are numberless authoritative statements to the 
contrary. It might be pointed out, however, that even 
if there should be a slight eating away of the con- 
crete by these acids, such action can effectually be 
counteracted by some asphaltic or bituminous prepara- 
tion once every three or four years. If such a coat- 
ing as this is considered necessary, this is practically 
the only item of maintenance cost which it will be 



34 



Concrete Silos 



found necessary to expend upon the silo other than 
perhaps occasional renewing of the roof, unless a con- 
crete roof should be put on in the first place. Concrete, 
therefore, admirably fulfills the requirements of low 
maintenance cost. 

One of the manufacturers of concrete silos has gone 
to considerable trouble to gather expressions of opin- 
ion from the various agricultural colleges regarding 
the concrete silo. An expression was especially asked 
on the question of the efi^ect of the acid in silage on 
concrete, since this is one of the main arguments us^d 




Three Concrete Silos in Perfect Condition After a Wind Storm 

— Photo by Courtesy of Sanders Pub. Co., Chicago 

by the opponents of concrete silos. Some of these 
statements are as follows: 

It has been our experience on the college farm, and the experi- 
ence of the men for whom we have supervised the construction 
of the cement silos, that when properly built they preserve silage 
in first-class shape. We have never noticed the effect of the acid 
of silage on the walls of a concrete silo. — O. E. Eeed, Professor 
of Dairy Husbandry, Kansas State Agricultural College, Man- 
hattan, Kansas. 

I think it has been definitely established that among all types 
of silos, the concrete silo is one of the most durable. The action 
of the acid in the silage on the durability of the concrete is not 
a large factor in any event, and when the silo lining is covered 
with a proper glazed coating, this action is practically negligible. 
— F. B. MuMFORD, University of Missouri, Columbia. 



Concrete Silos 35 

A silo, if made with impervious walls so as to exclude the air 
and retain the moisture, if made so as to be sufficiently rigid and 
of sufficient strength to resist the bursting pressure of the silage, 
and lastly if smooth on the inside to permit the silage to settle 
properly, will keep the silage regardless of the kind of material 
used in the construction. Concrete silos can be made to meet all 
these requirements. There is abundant evidence of this and in 
no case have we found spoiled silage in any silo where these 
essentials were incorporated. — J. B. Davidson, Professor of Agri- 
cultural Engineering, Iowa State College, Ames. 

I have constructed quite a number of concrete silos and have 
found that when the concrete silo is constructed properly, it will 
preserve the silage in good condition. I have also found that the 
acid of silage has very little effect on the concrete. — J. W. Ridg- 
WAY, Professor of Dairy Husbandry, Agricultural and Mechani- 
cal College of Texas, College Station. 

Concrete silos on the whole will keep silage as well as any 
other silo. With concrete walls made of properly proportioned and 
well mixed cement, sand, gravel, and the inside washed with grout, 
one need not fear injury to the walls due to the acids in the silage. 
I have examined quite a number of concrete silos and have not 
seen a single one where the acids have made any permanent injury 
to the walls. It is my opinion that the effect of the acids in silage 
on a concrete wall is a minor matter. — C. F. Chase, Assistant 
Professor Agricultural Engineering, North Dakota Agricultural 
College. 

It is my opinion that concrete silos keep silage as well as 
other makes, and that when the concrete of the silo is properly 
glazed the acid in the ensilage does not have any injurious effect 
upon the concrete. — W. L. Fowler, Head Department of Ani- 
mal Husbandry and Dairying, University of Arkansas, Fayette- 
ville. 

There is positively no truth in the statement that cememt silos 
are destroyed by the acids in the silage. These silos have been 
in use for about twenty years. A few days ago I was talking to 
a gentleman who had just examined a stone silo that was plas- 
tered with cement plaster twenty-five years ago and had not been 
lepaired since, and it is now in perfect condition. We have seven 
of these concrete silos on the college farms that are keeping silage 
fully as well, if not better, than our two wooden silos. — A. S. 
Neale, Dairy Husbandry, Kansas State Agricultural College, Man- 
hattan, Kansas. 

A great many objections are made to concrete as a suitable 
material for silo construction. These statements, of course, come 
from competing builders, mostly wood stave silo people. Obser- 
vations of concrete and wood stave silos standing side by side show 
that the freezing is not greater in one than the other. By coat- 
ing the concrete walls with a wash of neat cement or tar pitch 
they can be made perfectly air, water and acid proof. That 
concrete stave silos are a success has been demonstrated beyond 



36 Concrete Silos 

a doubt by those built, not only in tbis state, but other states as 
well. Silos of this type are known to have been used isuccessfully 
for eleven years without the least sign of deterioration or loss 
of silage through spoilage. — Agricultural Experimental Sta- 
tion, Ft. Collins, Colorado. 

Concrete silos have been in use for at least fifteen years in 
this state, and are giving excellent satisfaction. There is no 
serious effect of the silage acid on the concrete. — F. M. White, 
Department of Agricultural Engineering, University of Wisconsin. 

Concrete can very readily be made round in shape. 
It is the most plastic material of any with which the 
silo builder will have to deal, and can be fitted perfeotly 
to his requirements in every way. 

Concrete can be given absolutely smooth interior 
walls. In monolithic silos, the walls will automatically 
assume a smooth surface if proper care is used, even 
without any surface treatment, while where concrete 
units are used, these form an admirable surface on 
which to plaster or to apply any smooth surface 
coating. 



CHAPTER IV 
Advantage Over Other Kinds of Silos 

In addition to concrete there are five materials 
which are sometimes used for the construction of silos 
— stone, brick, structural tile, wood and iron. 

In every one of these concrete is almost invariably 
used at some point: for the foundation wall, the floor, 
the mortar with which the units are held together, the 
surface finish, or the roof. This being the case, it is 
coming to be more and more asked, Why, if concrete 
is a good material for these parts of a sil6, should it 
not be used for the entire structure. It would be 
worth while thus to do away with the complications 
arising from the use of two or more different materials, 
if for no other reason. 

None of the materials enumerated has any advan- 
tages over concrete as a material for silo construction. 
Some of them have decided disadvantages, as a careful 
study of them will show. 

Of all the above materials, stone comes perhaps 
nearest to having the high percentage of efficiency of 
concrete, so far as most of the requirements are con- 
cerned ; and yet, in the face of this, it is the one mate- 
rial which has been almost abandoned for silo con- 
struction. This is not to be wondered at when one 
comes to consider the matter; for it is a slow and 
expensive construction, giving no increased benefit for 
its increased cost. There are comparatively few farms 
which are situated advantageously with respect to a 
supply of stone suitable for building purposes; while 

(37) 



38 Concrete Silos 

if such a supply is available, it is a slow process, and 
one requiring the employment of expensive skilled 
labor, to work this stone into shape and lay it up in the 
wall. 

Then, too, ordinary building stone at the best will 
usually show a greater degree of porosity than good 
concrete. It is easy to see why this is so. Concrete is, 
to be sure, composed of stone — possibly even a poorer 
grade of stone than would be considered fit for ma- 
sonry work; but in concrete each particle of stone is 
covered with a film of cement, while in stone masonry 
there is no such protective coating. But with a scarc- 
ity of stone, there is always a probability that one 
who wants to build with this material will be satisfied 
with less than the best, thus working into the structure 
a material of even greater porosity, and possibly one 
also which will disintegrate rapidly under the action 
of the elements. Neither will stone give a sufficiently 
smooth interior surface, making it necessary to give it 
a plaster coat if the best results are to be secured. 

Brick is open to the same objection as stone, so far 
as porosity is concerned. Tests made at various times 
and places have established beyond question the fact 
that a well made concrete has a greater density, and 
will consequently exclude air and moisture more per- 
fectly, than any grade of brick which would be likely 
to be used in silo building. Brick is also inexpedient 
for this purpose because of the fact that it usually has 
to be hauled a considerable distance, and on top of 
this haulage cost is often a freight bill for shipment 
by rail from a distant brick yard. In the case of 
brick, too, practically all the material has to be hauled 
in, the only local material used being a small supply 



Concrete Silos 39 

of sand for mortar, if such is obtainable, though the 
local supply might be of such a quality that, while very 
good for concrete work, the bricklayer would not con- 
sider it of the right quality for mortar. 

One of the great advantages of concrete for any 
work on the farm has always been that local materials 
could be utilized to a large extent, not only cutting 
down the hauling, but, where a good grade of sand 
and gravel is found on the owner's own farm, making 
the cost of it practically nothing. In this day of the 




Forty-Two Acres of Corn Spoiled by the Collapse of This 
Clay Tile Silo 

study of economics and the demand for efficiency along 
all lines, it would indeed ])e a sad reversion to ineffi- 
cient methods for a man to bring in outside materials 
at a loss not only of hauling time, but of actual cash, 
when he has suital)le materials right at hand. 

It is a difficult matter to properly reinforce a brick 
silo. The reinforcing can be placed only in the mortar 



40 



Concrete Silos 




This \ 



joints between the courses, a more difficult operation, 
and giving less strength than where the rods are em- 
bedded in the concrete, as in the case of monolithic 
concrete work, or where they have special grooves 
made to receive 
them, as in the case 
of concrete blocks, 
or, again, where they 
completely encircle 
the silo, as in con- 
crete stave construc- 
tion. Bricks, too, 
present flat surfaces 
to each other, having 
no bond except the 
mortar joint which 
connects them, while 
concrete blocks made 
especially for silo work usually have some device for 
interlocking them in both directions, thus making them 
stronger to withstand strains either from within or 
without. And brick are open to the same objection as 
stone in that they do not present a smooth interior 
surface. 

With slight modifications, the same objections that 
have been stated against brick will hold good as 
against structural tile. The air space of the structural 
tile will to a certain extent atone for its porosity; but 
on the other hand it is more expensive than brick and 
is even more difficult to secure, as it is made only in 
widely separated plants. 

In view of the claim of tlie opponents of concrete 
that it will be destroyed by the action of the acids in 
silage, it is interesting to note the illustration here re- 



;,. a I'ile Silo Collapsed First 
Night After Filling-. On Farm of 
Neff Wildrick, Colusa, 111. 



Concrete Silos 



41 



produced from an extensive article by one of the expo- 
nents of clay products. He calls concrete a ''good 
form of foundation for a hollow block silo"; but if it 
is good enough for the foundation, where the juices 
gather and the acids are the strongest, why should he 
consider it such a dangerous material for the body of 
the structure? 

There are perhaps more wood silos sold than any 
other kind. One reason for this is that they are cheap, 
and another is that they are short lived and have to be 
replaced frequently. 

Certain qualities that are inherent in the very 
nature of the material of which wood stave silos are 



Offf Sleel Bar 
Th Be Burled 
/n MoFta 




A Good Form of Foundation for a Hollow Block Silo. 



Illustration Reproduced from "Brick and Clay Record," Showing 
Concrete Recommended as Foundation and Floor For a Silo 



made of necessity take them out of the class of perma- 
nent structures and put them in the class of temporary 
expedients. Wood is not an enduring material, espe- 
cially when exposed to the weather. The very nature 



42 



Concrete Silos 



of wood is such that it shrinks when dry and swells 
when wet. The permanency of a wood stave silo 
depends entirely upon its maintaining a constant 
rigidity of structure. It consists of staves set on end, 
held firmly in place 
by hoops. As long 
as the hoops remain 
tight the structure 
will be comparative- 
ly rigid and stable. 
As soon as the hoops 
become loose, it be- 
comes in the highest 
degree unstable. In 
the modern wood 
stave silo the staves 
are matched and fit- 
ted together by 
tongue and groove. 
The tongue and 
groove are from % 
to % inch in depth. 
The extreme circum- 
ference of a silo 16 feet in diameter is about 50 feet. It 
would take very little shrinking to reduce this 50 feet 
sufficiently to separate a tongue from a groove. Then, 
unless some method is adopted for holding the stave 
in place, the stave Avill fall out and the silo be in 
imminent danger of collapse. If the hoops become 
loose so as to destroy the rigidity of the structure, it 
may be worked in any direction by every light wind. 
A single half day of hot weather is sometimes 
sufficient to shrink the staves on such a silo to such 
an extent that every hoop will need to be tightened 




Effect of Shrinkage of Wood Staves 



Concrete Silos 



43 



ill order to make the structure safe. When the hoops 
are so tightened, a single shower of rain will swell 
them, to such an extent that either the staves will 
buckle or the hoops will break. Of course, there can 
be nothing permanent about a structure made of 
material in which such qualities are inherent. An 
illustration printed herewith is made from a photograph 
taken on the inside of a silo and shows the effect pro- 
duced by shrinking. No one will imagine for a mo- 
ment that such a silo would stand erect under a mild 
wind. When a silo collapses it is a matter of consider- 
able expense to erect it again. No farmer will be satis- 
fied with a silo that 

requires such con- ! 

stant attention and is 
in such constant dan- 
ger. 

It is reported by 
The Twentieth Cen- 
tury Farmer that a 
wood stave silo was 
erected on the state 
fair grounds at Lin- 
coln, Neb., solely for 
exhibition purposes 
by a company- en- 
gaged in promoting 
the sah^ of just such 
silos. It may be 
taken for granted 
that it was erected in 
the best way possible, 
in strict accordance 
with the mechanical principles involved in proper erec- 




Wood Stave Silo Displaced by Wind 
— Photo hy Coiirtesy of Virginia Apr. 
Exp. Station 



44 



Concrete Silos 



tion. But one side of the silo was blown in, thus ren- 
dering it practically worthless until it had been 
repaired. 

During the summer of 1911 thirty-one stave silos 
erected in the vicinity of Lincoln, Neb., were inspected. 
In the inspection no silo was passed by. They were 
taken singly one by one as they were found. Here is 
the result of the inspection : 

Five had blown clear down once before they had 
been built twelve months; one blew clear down twice 
before it had been built twelve months ; one blew clear 
down three times before it had been built twelve 
months; one blew clear down once before it had been 
built five years; one blew clear down once before it 
had been built nine years; two blew clear down, but 
the date of their erection was not ascertained; eight 
had been re-erected 
once before the}" 
were up twelve 
months ; one had been 
re-erected twice be- 
fore it was up twelve 
months ; four were 
leaning badly ; one 
had been straighten- 
ed twice; two had 
very loose hoops ; one 
had broken nearly every hoop more than once ; only 
six were in good condition. 

With such a record as this, it is impossible to classify 
wood stave silos as permanent structures, and 
this impossibility rests not, as tlie wood stave silo 
men claim, upon failure to observe mechanical prin- 
ciples in the erection of them , but upon qualities 




Wood Stave Silo After a Fire 



Concrete Silos 



45 



inherent in the very nature of the material itself. Nor 
can such a state of affairs be charged to tlie fact that 
these silos were not properly guj^ed, because no guying 
is sufficient to hold such material in place with n ]n^oper 
degree of rigidity to insure stability. 

No wood exposed to the action of the elements is 
safe from decay. The rains that beat upon the out- 
side of a silo, the change in moisture conditions and in 
temperature, the ab- 
sorption of moisture 
from the enclosed 
silage, all help to 
hasten the process of 
decay. 

The Twentieth 
Century Farmer also 
states that it has on 
file a statement from 
a representative of a 
wood silo company 
to the effect that 25 
per cent of the ensi- 
lage in concrete silos 
rots beyond use. The 
editor brands this 
unhesitatingly as a 
false statement. This 
paper has made an 
extensive investiga- 
tion of silos, and in 

the course of this investigation, concrete silo after con- 
crete silo has been visited. In no case has dissatisfac- 
tion with Such a silo been found by the user. Such 
silos have been in use for a number of years. The 




~"~^ 



tffsg^^'saW 






Failure of Metal Silo on Farm 
E. W. Page, Goltry, Okla. 



of 



46 Concrete Silos 

investigators have not been able to find an owner of 
a concrete silo who would build a silo frcm any other 

material. 

Relative to the action of acids on silos the publication 
above ({uoted says: "It is very glibly stated by the 
salesmen of wood stave silos that the acetic acid devel- 
oped by the process of fermentation in ensilage corrodes 
and eats away the concrete wall so as ultimately to 
destroy it. This statement at first glance would seem 
to have some basis of truth, for the reason that it is a 
well-known fact in chemistry that acetic acid will attack 
some of the materials of concrete wherever found, and 
thereby produce acetates. This fact has been magnified 
and has been used by wood silo men to damage the 
reputation of concrete silos. But here is another fact : 
The amount of acetic acid developed in fermenting 
ensilage is so small and is so much diluted that it has 
practically no effect whatever upon the concrete. Con- 
crete silo after silo has been visited, some of them 
having been in use for more than 25 years, and in no 
case has the least evidence of the action of acetic acid 
upon the silo wall been discovered. The walls are as 
smooth and clear and clean after 25 years of service as 
they were in the first place. 

''The greater initial cost of masonry silos is another 
argument used against them by the wood silo men. 
This argument might be made valid if the wood silo 
men would put their price where it might be regarded 
as reasonable. This fact, how^ever, must be remem- 
bered — that the first year's loss on a wood silo that 
blows down during the first year and has to be re- 
erected amounts to more than the initial cost of any 
masonry silo. The masonry silo, when properly re- 



Concrete Silos 47 

inforced, is a permanent structure. There are no hoops 
to tighten, no danger from blowing down or from fire. 
It grows stronger and more stable with each succeeding 
season. It is good for generation after generation. In 
some places, owing to cost of material, the initial cost 
may be a little more than tlic cost of a wood stave silo, 
but in the end it is a more economic structure." 

With reference to the metal silo, it will scarcely be 
necessary to do more than quote a paragraph from the 
catalogue of one of the companies selling these silos. 
It states : 

"In the production of silage, certain mild acids are 
formed by fermentation, which, if no protection were 
afforded, would have a tendency to cause the galvan- 
izing to corrode. To provide against this it is advisable 
to keep the inside of the silo painted with some elastic, 
acid-resisting paint." 

In another paragraph the company advises its cus- 
tomers to paint the inside of the silo once a year; and 
this, too, is a company which is selling silos of ''pure 
iron" — the kind which is supposed to be proof against 
attacks of any kind. 

Granting that the acid in silage does have a slight 
effect upon concrete, such a wall, with a thickness of 
several inches, will certainly be more durable than a 
metal wall having a thickness of a small fraction of an 
inch. 

The table on the following page, which is a com- 
pilation of 296 replies to inquiries sent out to Missouri 
farmers, will serve to show the difficulties experienced 
with silos of various kinds and the kind of silo pre- 
ferred, if another should be built. 



48 



Concrete Silos 



TABLE I— RESULT OF INQUIRIES MADE AMONG 296 
MISSOURI FARMERS 



K .0 d of Silo 
1 r\ u^e 


Hi: 


y)ivit\g > rouWe 


V.ou>ble 


l\ o\d pre Te r r 
S>KovA\d V. 


cd if J. 


no > V\e T- 


Cone rete 


S>avc 


Gurle-r 


HoTTxe- 
made 






Loose Koop S. 
















•=^tav<aSj "77 


3.^ 


3S 


o«s 






S> >ttve 


^.T'? 


Blowing down^lS 
C»acKcd , > 


C.S 
3 5 

3. 


3 3 








3ol"d concrete 


33 




3 


1 1 








Corvcret^e blech 


IZ 


Ftoxcv^ Silage, 1 


8 33 










a«-ir >ei- 


3 


F r oz: e*\ Sil»gC,3 


33 33 


3 




6 




Home-made eK».V 
















ing & +ar poper 
















CGixT-ler +<(p«) 


•+ 


rToze.}n. Silage, 1 


2S 


1 
1 









B oi f f tJc racy 


^ 


Spoiled 5. 'age, 1 










R r 



From this table it will be seen that the preference 
is for the concrete silo if another kind is discarded. Out 
of one hundred men having some difficulty with the 
stave silo, 38 prefer the concrete if they should build 
another silo. Not a man having a concrete silo ex- 
pressed a desire for another kind in the event that he 
should build another. 



CHAPTER V 

Size and Shape of a Silo 

As has previously been stated, economy and good 
construction will dictate that the general shape of the 
silo be cylindrical, and there are at the present time 
practically no other shapes used. 

It is generally understood, too, that in an economic 
and well constructed silo certain relations must be 
maintained between the diameter and the height. It is 
sometimes stated that the depth of the silo should not 
be less than twice nor more than three times the 
diameter. This rule has, of course, been violated in both 
directions, but it is probably a less serious error to go 
above this rather than below. In fact, higher silos are 
now advocated by some of the best builders, and there 
is a tendency in some sections to build silos higher than 
formerly. 

It is of course recognized that the greater the depth 
of silage, the better will it be on account of the pressure 
from above forcing out the air and helping to preserve 
it. If the height is less than 24 feet, the quality of the 
silage will not be of the best. On the other hand, an 
excessive height will increase the cost of filling the silo 
by making necessary a larger amount of power to ele- 
vate the material into it. It will also necessitate a long 
climb for the person whose duty it is to get the silage 
out. 

Within the limits defined, it is an easy matter to 
figure out the size of silo required in any given location. 
The two dimensions will in general be fixed by two 

(49) 



50 Concrete Silos 

different considerations. The diameter of the silo will 
be determined by the size and nature of the herd to be 
fed, and the lieight by the number of feeding days per 
year for which it is desired to provide. A common 
error in building a silo is to make the diameter too 
great for the size of the herd. When once a farmer has 
removed the top layer from his silage and has com- 
menced to feed from it, the silage should be removed 
at the rate of not less than 2 inches in depth per day in 
the winter time and 3 inches in the summer time. It 
is necessary to establish a limit of this kind in order to 
insure that none of the silage shall spoil. 

The weight of a cubic foot of silage varies according 
to the pressure to which it is subjected, but there are 
certain average figures which can be taken as suffi- 
ciently accurate. For instance, in a silo 30 feet deep, 
a cubic foot of silage will average about 40 pounds in 
weight; so by knowing the amount of silage to be fed 
daily, it is possible to estimate what the diameter of the 
silo should be to permit the removal of a certain num- 
ber of inches in depth each day. 

Table II, which is taken from Bulletin No. 21 of the 
Association of American Portland Cement Manufactur- 
ers, shows the approximate minimum pounds to be fed 
daily from the various diameters of silos. This is based 
on winter feeding, and for summer feeding would, of 
course, be about 50 per cent more, in order to keep the 
silage in good condition. This table also shows the 
number of animals which can be fed from each silo on 
the amount taken away daily at a stated ration for 
each kind of animal. Of course, many feeders will not 
make out their rations according to this table ; but with 
the help of the table, and substituting their own weight 



Concrete Silos 



51 



of rations for the ones used in the table, they can de- 
termine very accurately what size herd they can raise 
on any diameter of silo, or conversely, they can deter- 
mine the size of silo necessar^^ for au}^ given herd. 
Multiplying the depth taken away each day by the 
number of days wliicli they desire to feed, they Avill be 
able to get the height of silo necessary. The usual 
figure taken is 180 days, although the increasing preva- 

TABLE II — SHOWING MINIMUM NUMBER OF ANIMALS TO 
BE FED DAILY FROM EACH DIAMETER OF SILO 



1 T-\ 

Tee -y 


toe Fed Da. Iv 


rSumber of Ath 


imals + 
of 


o be Fedl -TroTn eo-cK Size 

Silo 


1 1 (fa's. 


500-lb 

Calves 
12 lbs 


S+ocK 

20 (b5. 


Beef 
Ca + Vie 
Z3 lbs 


Da 1 r y 
Cows 
40 lb?,. 


3 lbs 






per day 


perd-xy 


per dffv{ 


p«T d«y 


per d»^ 


per day 


1 


5Z5 


48 


44 


zs 


21 


13 


17^ 


1 2 


7 5 5 


<S3 


G3 


3S 


30 


10 


2 5^ 


1 ^ 


I030 


3 A 


&e 


SZ 


■4 1 


26 


^■^■^ 


1 6 


13-40 


\Z 7. 


\ \z 


67 


54 


34 


^46 


18 


1700 


155 


\^Z 


S5 


GS 


-4 2. 


^GT 


^0 


;? 1 oo 


1 9 t 


\-75 


lO^ 


84 


3-3 


700 



lence of summer feeding is ^mother factor which is 
helping to increase the height of silos. 

Table III, taken from Bulletin 141 of the Iowa Agri- 
cultural Experiment Station, gives the capacity in tons 
of various diameters and heights of silos ; also the num- 
ber of acres necessary to fill the silo at 15 tons per acre, 
and the amount which should be fed daily, this amount 
corresponding to that given in the second column of 
Table II. 

The Wyoming Farm Bulletin suggests that the fol- 
lowing formula may prove serviceable in estimating 
the actual amount of silage in the silo, assuming that 1 
cubic foot of ensilage weighs 30 pounds : 



52 



Concrete Silos 



TABLE III — CAPACITY OF SILOS AND ACREAGE NECESSARY 

TO FILL 



l-rvSidQ^ 

Dio.Tr-. e^e>- 


w e 1 q K + 


Ctt pa.c 1 +'Y 


Acre <v<^ G -l-o fill. 

(5 4o-rN« +« tKe. 
cxcre. 


sKovxld be Fed 
c/a> ly Pounds 


»0 


2.a 


'^«. 


J?.8 


S ^ S 


lo 


JO 


>4r 


3.0 


SZS 


1 o 


32. 


^/ 


3.4 


6XS 


1 


3-* 


^6 


3.-7 


S^S 


lO 


3 a 


6S 


4.3 


S Z6- 


to 


^ o 


TO 


-».G 


s^s- 


«R 


X s 


61 


4. J 


■7 53- 


» s. 


3 O 


6T 


^.5- 


T SS 


1 z. 


3 X. 


-7A- 


^.0 


-rSs- 


\7L 


3 ^ 


80 


ir.3 


-7SS 


1 R 


3 G 


87 


5:e 


1 5S 


1 ;? 


3© 


94 


Q>.A 


-7S6' 


1 2 


^ O 


/ o< 


T.3 


T SS 


1 A- 


a s 


83 


-5-.5- 


1030 


1 A- 


3 O 


91 


61 


10 30 


lA- 


3 X 


» 00 


G.I 1 


1030 


\4 


34 


1 09 


T.2 1 


IO30 


1 4 


36 


1 «6 


7.0 


10 3 


1-^ 


3S 


1 ae 


6.5 


I030 


1^ 


-^O 


I3S 


&.7L 


1030 


16 


^8 


1 0© 


-r.Z 


I3 40 


»G 


■30 


1 19 


S.O 


\ZAO 


16 


32 


131 


S.T 


/3 40 


1 e 


3-? 


1 ^3 


9.5- 


/3 40 


\Q> 


36 ' 


» ss 


10.3 


/340 


16 


3S 


1 «y 


1 1. 1 


/340 


le 


^0 


> so 


1^.0 


I340 


18 


30 


15-1 


to.o 


I700 


16 


3;;^ 


(66 


II. 


/TOO 


1 a 


3A 


)SI 


12.0 


/TOO 


1 8 


3 & 


1 9G 


13.;^ 


/TOO 


IS 


3S 


^ 1 ;?. 


14. 1 


/TOO 


\& 


^a 


;i^9 


15.2 6 


/TOO 


IS 


^iZ 


^ AG 


16.4- 


/TOO 


IS 


^4 


■R. &A 


I7.G, 


/TOO 


IS 


'4& 


ze,-z 


18.8 


/TOO 


^ o 


30 


1 ST 


U.5 


;?(oo 


». 


3;?. 


205" 


13.6 


21 00 


2 o 


3^ 


;224 


15^^ 


21 00 


5J.O 


3G 


;^43 


ie.2 


;?ioo 


20 


-*o 


2.6\ 


la.e 


2100 


ao 


'^;e 


300 


;?o.o 


2/00 


ao 


AA- 


320 


21.3 


'?.\oo 


zo 


46 


3^0 


2^.6 


i^l 00 


^o 


4S 


:?Gi 


24. 


Z\ CO 

21 00 „^ 


2.0 


J-O 


3S^ 


^s. 5- 



Concrete Silos 53 

D 

( — )2x3.14xHx30=pounds of silage. 

2 
Where D equals diameter of silo in feet. 

H equals depth of silage in feet. 

30 equals weight of silage per cubic ft. 

Example: To get the capacity of a silo ten feet in diameter 
containing twenty feet of silage. 

10 

(_)2X3.14X20X30= 
2 
52x3.14x20x30= 
5X5X3.14X20X30=47,100 pounds silage. 
47,100-1-2,000=23.5 tons of silage. 

In the eighth annual report of the Wisconsin Agri- 
cultural Experiment Station, Prof. F. H. King gives 
the results of investigations to determine the pressure 
of silage against the silo wall. It was found in these 
experiments that the pressure of silage upon the silo 
walls increases with the depth and is equal to 11 
pounds per square foot of each foot of depth. Thus at 
a depth of 20 feet, the bursting pressure in a silo is 
220 pounds per square foot, and at a depth of 35 feet 
the pressure amounts to 385 pounds. 

Prof. J. B. Davidson, of the Iowa Experiment Sta- 
tion, Ames, la., says that a careful investigation of 
modern practice proves that an allowance for this pres- 
sure is sufficient, and that many concrete silos are now 
standing and in successful service with much less re- 
inforcement than that required by an assumed pressure 
of 11 pounds per square foot per foot of depth. This is 
due to the fact that the wall independent of the steel 
is able to resist a part of the bursting pressure. 

Table IV, prepared by Prof. Davidson, gives the 
steel required in cylindrical silos to carry a bursting 
pressure of 11 pounds per square foot per foot of depth 
and it is based on a safe tensile strength of 20,000 



TABLE IV — TO DETERMINE STEEL REQUIRED IN 
REINFORCING SILOS 



GrQSs^sectional Areq of Steel ^ 
J Q I I Qi I <qi I ^ 



l-El I 



^ 






Nurifiber-of ai inclh Squari Bdrs ■ 

! I -I i : '^J I'OI i 



;ir)| 



Nurjibai'of ij inch Round Rocjls 



joL 



oi 



NurVibet: of | inolj) Rdunc) Ro(JI^ 



Nl 



tO 



Nurjiber! of 7 incJh Rqund Rods 

i i ; l i ! li Lz 



Nutfibe/if of § inclh Round; Rotl5 



NurVi bef- of ^ inch Round Rods j 



»^t^ 



Strbnds of Ncj.O yVirej 



_1_! ' ■' ■ 



S|: 



-i-4- 



^1 



Strands of 



Bdrb vVirei- Z-No l:^ Wrres.! 

1. .■..,.. -n^li .■..■... -I. ■r 



o 




Gross-sectional Area of Sieel per Vertical foot of 
Wall in Hundredths of a Square inch 

(54) 



Concrete Silos 55 

pounds per square inch for the steel. This shows in a 
concise form the cross-sectional area of steel required 
in silos from 10 to 25 feet in diameter for the top foot 
and each successive foot until a depth of 50 feet is 
reached. The chart should be held in a vertical posi- 
tion. Then, if the point is noted where one of the 
heavy diagonal lines representing a silo diameter inter- 
sects a horizontal line representing the depth of the 
silo, the area of the steel required to resist the bursting 
pressure on a section of the silo wall one foot wide 
will be found on the scale directly below. The corre- 
sponding area in common styles of reinforcement is 
found directly above on the upper scales. 



CHAPTER VI 

The Different Types of Concrete Silos 

Concrete silos naturally divide themselves into two 
broadly general classes: Those which are built up in 
position and which form when completed one practic- 
ally continuous monolithic mass; and secondly, those 
which are built up from structural units of concrete 
previously manufactured. 

This is a classification somewhat different from that 
used by other writers on this subject, but it is believed 
that careful consideration will show it to be logically 
correct. 

The metal lath silo, for instance, has usually been 
considered in a class by itself, and apart from the 
monolithic silo. In any broad general classification, 
however, it would seem to belong with the monolithic 
silo inasmuch as it is built up in place and forms prac- 
tically one solid mass when completed, the main differ- 
ence being that it is plastered in vertical layers instead 
of being poured in horizontal sections. The pit silo, if 
it is considered at all, will also come under this classifi- 
cation, it being a plastered silo underground instead 
of above ground. 

This first classification will also include the hollow 
wall silo w^hen poured in place. 

The second classification will include the silo built 
of concrete blocks, concrete staves, or any other form 
of structural units which are made previous to the erec- 
tion of the silo, 

(56) 



Concrete Silos 57 

The determination of the particular type of silo to 
be erected in a given place will depend upon a number 
of considerations. AVhile there may be several things 
which in any given locality will point to one type of 
silo as somewhat more suited to the conditions than 
another, the principal consideration governing the 
choice will in most cases be found to be the whim of 
the owner. It is unfortunate that this is so, but it is 
one of the conditions to be reckoned with. Aside from 
this, however, there are logical conditions which will 
influence, or should influence, the choice of type. Two 
extreme cases might be cited as illustrating this. 

Suppose, for instance, that there is a good deposit of 
sand and gravel on a man's farm, and that there is a 
contractor in a nearby village who has a set of forms 
for building monolithic silos, and with a reputation for 
building them well ; these conditions would naturally 
point toward the monolithic silo for this particular loca- 
tion. On the other hand, suppose another farmer, who 
has no available deposit of sand and gravel, but who is 
within convenient hauling distance over good roads 
from a plant where he can procure structural units of 
some kind for silo construction. These conditions will 
as certainly point to the use of such units. 

There will, of course, be many modifications of 
these conditions, at some time some of them possibly 
pointing in one direction and some in the other. They 
will then have to be weighed against each other and 
the decision made in the direction of those which seem 
to be most favorable. 

The labor situation may influence the selection 
somewhat. If stone masons are available and plasterers 
are not to be had, this would tend to make one favor 



58 Concrete Silos 

the silo of structural units as opposed to the metal 
lath silo; while with reverse conditions, the opposite 
would be the case. A strike in one of these trades 
would, of course, throw that particular mode of con- 
struction out of consideration for the time being. 

The fact that a neighbor has a silo of a certain type 
of construction will often influence a man to have the 
same type. This method of selection is logical only to 
the extent that it shows there is someone in the locality 
who can build successful silos of that type and gives the 
new builder greater confidence that his silo will be 
what it should be. His situation as to materials or 
labor, however, may be entirely different, so that this 
in itself is not sufficient basis for choice. 

There may even be times when one will not be justi- 
fied in going to greater expense than that involved in 
the construction of a pit silo. In doing this, however, 
he must be sure that his conditions are right for this 
type of silo, and outlined in another chapter of this 
book. 



CHAPTER VII 

The Foundation of the Silo 

The silo is usually allowed to extend into the ground 
about 5 feet. In this way the height above ground is 
reduced, considerably decreasing the amount of scaf- 
folding necessary, and the hoisting of materials, as well 
as having the further advantage of placing the founda- 
tion below the frost line. 

It might at first seem that if a depth of 5 feet is an 
advantage, a greater depth would be a still further ad- 
vantage ; but this is not true, owing to the fact that 
when one goes below 5 feet, the difficulty of getting the 
silage out of the silo offsets any advantages of con- 
struction which might be secured. 

When the site of the silo has been selected, a stake 
is driven in the center and a sweep is attached to this 
stake with a spike, by which the place for excavation 
can be marked out. This sweep may consist of a piece 
of 2x4, or any other convenient piece of lumber, to the 
outer end of which is attached a pointed piece of board, 
by which the marking can be done. The length of the 
sweep will of course be governed by the diameter of the 
proposed silo, as well as the nature of the ground in 
which the excavation is to be made. First measure off 
on the sweep from the spike in the center stake, one- 
half the inside diameter of the proposed silo. If the 
ground is firm, so that the walls will stand vertical, 1 
foot can be added to this radius. If, however, the 
ground is soft and yielding, so that it will be necessary 
to slope it back, it will be necessary to add about 2^2 
feet. 

(59) 



60 



Concrete Silos 



If a floor is to be put in, the excavation should be 
carried down to 4 inches below the top level of the 
floor, making a 4-inch slab. 

Under certain conditions, the silo floor may be dis- 
pensed with without interfering with the preservation 
of the silage. "Where the silo rests upon dry clay or 
any non-porous soil, and where the foundation is deep 
enough to prevent undermining by rats, the floor may 
be omitted. In general, however, a floor is quite de- 
sirable. The portion of the silo below the ground may 
be made more nearly water tight, the floor may be thor- 




Sweep for Laying Out Excavation. 

oughly cleaned, and there is no mixing of earth with 
the silage. A silo floor need not be thick or expensive, 
as the weight of the silage, though very great, is dis- 
tributed evenly over the surface and would be just as 
firmly supported if the floor was not used. 

After the excavation is leveled off for the floor of 
the silo, the digging is then continued around the cir- 
cumference of the pit for an additional depth of 8 
inches, and 24 inches in width, to provide for the foot- 
ings, as shown in the drawing. It is a good plan to 
provide in the center of the silo floor a connection with 



Concrete Silos 



61 




-r:^^::-:^:^ 



Excavation, Floor and Footing". Earth Wall Can Be Made 
Vertical Where Ground Is Firm. 



a line of drain tile. This drain will carry off any water 
which may accumulate in the silo, and which, in some 
cases, has been known to rise to such a lieight as to 
exert a pressure on the silo walls greater than they 
were designed to resist. If a drain is used, the floor of 
the silo should have a pitch toward the center of about 
1/4 inch to 1 foot. The drain should also be covered 
with wire netting to keep it open, and should be pro- 
vided with some form of trap so that the air cannot 
enter from the outside. 

If the foundation walls on the silo are made thicker 
than the walls of the superstructure, they should line 
up with each other on the inside rather than the out- 
side. A few years ago it was thought proper to place 



I 



A B 

Correct Method of Alignment Between Wall and Foundation 

Shown at A. Incorrect Method at B. 



62 Concrete Silos 

the upper part of the silo at the outer edge of the foun- 
dation walls. The shoulder was thus left projeeting 
into the silo. Owners of such silos report a large 
amount of rotten silage around the joints. This is ow- 
ing to the fact that the silage does not settle properly 
where such joints occur, leaving pockets of air which 
cause rotting of the silage. In some cases the owners 
have felt it worth while to sacrifice a part of the ca- 
pacity of their silos by filling them up to this shoulder. 

If the ground is firm it can be used as an outside 
form for the foundation walls, using an inside form of 
wood or metal. 

It may be said, however, that Avhile it has been the 
custom in the past to build a foundation wall up to 
about a foot above ground, irrespective of the kind of 
construction to be follow^ed above that point, the prac- 
tice is coming into quite general use of starting the 
walls of the structure directly on the footing, making 
them uniform from that point to the top, whether they 
be of monolithic construction, blocks, staves, or plas- 
tered on metal lath. This is a more simple method of 
construction, except for the fact that in some instances 
this may require a little more excavation. 

Where a silo is to be reinforced vertically, this re- 
inforcement should be imbedded in the footings and 
allow^ed to project from them up into the walls. 



CHAPTER VIII. 
The Monolithic Silo. 

The word "monolith" is derived from two Greek 
words and means, literally, a single stone. The term 
"monolithic" is therefore applied to concrete struc- 
tures which are built up in one continuous process and 
form practically a single stone w^hen they are 
completed. 

As stated in a previous chapter, any broadly general 
classification of silos would include under this heading 
not only the silo which is built up of either solid or 
hollow walls poured in forms, but also the pit silo and 
the silo plastered on metal lath. These others are, 
however, dealt with in separate chapters further on in 
this volume ; and as a number of different systems have 
been developed for constructing the silo of poured 
walls, these too have been dealt with in other chapters, 
so that this chapter need only concern itself with a few 
general observations on this type of silo. 

It has been the custom in the compilation of 
bulletins by the U. S. Department of Agriculture, the 
experiment stations of the several states, and the 
bulletins of the cement companies, to give detailed 
directions for what are known as "home-made" silos; 
that is, silos built wholly or largely by the farmer him- 
self, and in forms which are also of his own manu- 
facture. The present writer, after having given the 
subject careful consideration, has not seen fit to include 
such matter in this volume. While undoubtedly a large 
number of very satisfactory silos have been built in this 
way, the practice is not to be recommended. The 

(63) 





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(64) 



Concrete Silos 65 

writer firmly believes that every silo should be erected 
by a. contractor who is familiar with this class of work. 
There have been failures of concrete silos in the past 
and the opponents of this form of construction have not 
hesitated to use these instances to the best advantage 
in inviting public condemnation of concrete. 

It is absolutely necessary for the benefit of the 
industry that no more such failures should occur; and 
one of the best expedients for preventing their recur- 
rence is to allow only an honest and experienced con- 
tractor to put up a concrete silo. Such a contractor 
will scarcely care to bother with making his own forms, 
which at best Avill be awkward and inefficient, 
especially in view of the fact that there are on the 
market a constantly increasing number o'f commercial 
forms, and that the manufacturers of these forms are 
continually improving them and adding to their 
efficiency for construction. 

A home-made form will perhaps build a dozen silos 
at best, wiien it has to be discarded and replaced. It is 
a makeshift proposition, cumbersome and inefficient, 
difficult to handle and inexact in its alignments. A 
properly built commercial system, on the other hand, 
will last at least for several seasons of work, is con- 
ducive to rapidity and economy of construction, and 
shows a finished structure which is exact in every 
detail. 

In employing a contractor to build a silo, the farmer 
can, of course, have it understood that he is to supply 
the materials if he has them on his farm, or that he is 
to do the hauling, furnish some of the unskilled labor, 
or assist in any other way of which he is capable. 

Another advantage in having this kind of work 
done by a contractor is that the contractor will have a 



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(66) 



Concrete Silos 67 

concrete mixer on the job, while the farmer himself 
would frequently be satisfied to mix the concrete by 
hand. On a structure such as a silo, which is built with 
a comparatively thin wall, and which at the same time 
has to withstand considerable strain, it is of the utmost 
importance that the concrete should be well mixed, so 
that it may attain its greatest strength. 

For the same reason, too, considerable care should 
be given to the materials, making sure that they are 
clean and properly graded to make a concrete of the 
greatest density. Sand and gravel for silos are as 
often as possible secured from deposits in the locality, 
rather than being bought from commercial plants, and 
hence need most careful inspection. Gravel taken 
from a creek is often coated with clay loam, which 
prevents the cement from making a good union, and 
very often it contains particles that are too large or of 
a crumbling character. Such gravel should be run 
over a screen and washed before using. Soft granite, 
shale, slate rock or dusty cinders are not desirable. 
The material should not easily crush and disintegrate 
and should be suitable to give a good, strong union 
with the cement. Above all it should be repeated that 
it should be absolutely clean. 

In some localities there are natural deposits of 
gravel containing varying proportions of sand. If 
clean and not too coarse, such gravel is well suited for 
silo building ; but in using this material it is never safe 
to assume that the proportion of sand to gravel is cor- 
rect until a quantity has been run over a i/4-inch screen 
and the exact proportions determined. Usually such 
gravel contains too much sand. 

For the foundation the stone may be as large as 
will pass through a 2%-inch ring, while for the main 



68 Concrete Silos 

TABLE VII.— AMOUNT OF REINFORCING IN TWISTE 






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This Table, Which Is Adapted From Tables Compiled by the ReicI 
m Heig-ht. For Silos of Less Height, Cut Off the Diagram at the FiguH 

Line, Using the Steel Callct 



f I 



Concrete Silos 



69 



,STEEL BARS FOR SILOS OF VARIOUS DIAMETERS. 



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:t Manufacturing- Company, Shows Reinforcing- for Silos Up to 60 Feet 
( Indicating the Desired Height, and Disregard Everything Below That 
)r Above the Line. 



70 Concrete Silos 

wall of 6-mch thickness the size should not exceed IV2 
inches. A mixture of particles of various sizes from V2 
up to 11/2 inches makes the strongest wall. 

The water used for mixing concrete should be clean 
and free from alkalis and acids. It is especially desir- 
able to caution builders of farm structures on this 
point, because drainage water from the barnyard or 
water from a muddy stream may sometimes find its 
way into the supply. 

The usual proportions for a 6-inch concrete wall are 
1 part of cement to 2 parts sand and 4 parts stone. 

In filling the forms, only a few inches in depth 
should be filled in at one place at a time. Depositing a 
great quantity of concrete at one place puts a heavy 
strain on the forms and has a tendency to force them 
out of plumb. As the concrete is put into the form it 
should be spaded with a piece of 1 by 3 inch board, 
sharpened to a bevel edge. The purpose of the spading 
is to remove all air bubbles and avoid the formation of 
cavities. On the other hand, in a wet mixture as used 
in silo building the spading must not be overdone, or 
the heavier rock will sink to the bottom and the cement 
and water will rise to the top. 

The exterior surface can be kept smooth by greasing 
the outside form with soap or some cheap oil or grease. 
To be effective this grease coat must be renewed at 
each raising of the forms. No grease should be used on 
the inside form, as this surface is to receive a brush 
co'at of pure cement w^ash. Small particles of cement 
will adhere to this form each time it is raised, and 
before it is used again these should be removed with a 
broom or a wooden trowel. If these are not removed 
an undue amount of concrete will adhere, and this will 
result in an unnecessarily rough wall. 



Concrete Silos 



71 




Showing- the Difference Between a Silo That Is Brush Coated 
and One That Is Not. 

As the forms are raised the fresh wall is constantly 
exposed to the drying air and sun, and there is danger 
of the surface drying and curing too rapidly for the 
interior of the wall, causing cracks. To prevent this 
the wall should be soaked with w^ater several times a 
day for several days and when possible the wall should 
be protected with canvas or burlap thoroughly wet. 



72 Concrete Silos 

When the forms have been filled for the day do not 
smooth the top with a trowel, but leave it as rough as 
possible. A good plan is to roughen the top surface 
just as the concrete starts to set. Before putting fresh 
concrete on this wall the next day, the top surface 
should be soaked with water and then sprinkled with 
raw cement, which will help in making a good union 
between courses. The forms must not be removed for 
at least 5 hours after filling. 

A brush coat of cement wash may be applied as 
soon as the form is raised and before the wall has had a 
chance to dry. This coat of cement helps to make the 
wall less porous and therefore more nearly air and 
water tight. The wash is prepared by mixing together 
cement and water to the consistency of thick lime 
whitewash, and is applied with a whitewash brush in 
the ordinary way. If the wall has had time to dry it 
should first be drenched with water. 

After this coat of cement wash has been applied the 
whole interior may be painted with coal tar thinned 
with gasoline. The coal tar makes the wall impervious 
and also protects it from the action of acids which 
develop in the silage. It should be renewed from year 
to year as may be required. The application of the 
coal tar may be left until the wall is complete, but 
should be done before removing the interior scaffold. 



CHAPTER IX. 

The Polk System. 

This system of silo construction is controlled by the 
Polk-Genung-Polk Company of Fort Branch, Indiana. 
It has as its basic principle of operation a center mast, 
erected at the center of the floor of the structure and 
carefully plumbed by means of guy wires attached to 
the top and provided with turn-buckles. From this 
mast everything used in the construction of the silo is 
suspended, including the staging, the apparatus for 
handling the forms, and the crane for hoisting and 
depositing the concrete. 

The mast is a four-inch steel pipe, provided with a 
series of transverse holes to receive a heavy steel pin. 
This pin supports a widely flanged collar, which serves 
to support the jacks by which the forms are lifted. 

Resting upon the jacks is a hub, consisting of a 
flanged base collar and a top dished collar connected 
by a central pipe of sufficient diameter to work easily 
over the center mast. From the base collar of this hub 
radiate steel tees which are supported from the upper 
collar by adjustable hanger rods with chain clevises. 

Each form consists of eight separable sections, and 
each section is reinforced and stiffened by a steel angle 
frame around the edges. The inner and outer steel 
wall-forms, which are rolled to the required curvature, 
are bolted to the radiating steel tees. The outer sec- 
tions are bolted together at their ends through holes in 
the frames. The inner sections are similarly bolted 
together, but carry steel wedges between them, the 

(73) 



74 



Concrete Silos 




The Polk System Equipment 



Concrete Silos 



75 



lifting of which allows the inner sections to swing free. 
To keep the vertical reinforcing in its proper posi- 
tion in the center o£ 
the wall, small steel 
clips are provided. 
The vertical reinforc- 
ing passes througli 
these clips, which fit 
over the stems of the 
steel tees. 

For placing the 
concrete between the 
forms, a V-shaped 
dumping bucket is 
provided. This buck- 
et is supported by a 
crane pivotally at- 
tached to the cen- 
ter mast directly 
above the top collar 

of the hub, and can be easily swung to any part of the 
wall space. It is hoisted by means of a rope and series 
of pulleys so arranged that the hoisting force is applied 
horizontally from without the structure. A small open- 
ing, through which the hoisting rope works, is cut in 
the wall near the bottom of the first fill of concrete. 
When the bucket is hoisted it is coupled to a carrier on 
the crane by means of a hinged hook and is then swung 
to any part of the wall space desired. 

The scaflTolding, both inner and outer, is swung from 
the steel tees, which project some distance beyond the 

wall. 

The operation of the machine is very simple. The 

forms are set, the reinforcing bars are placed in posi- 




Polk System Machine in Operation 



76 



Concrete Silos 



tion, the concrete is mixed, hoisted, dumped and 
packed between the forms, and allowed to set. The 
next morning the nuts connecting the sections of the 
outer form are loosened, the steel wedges fixing the 
sections of the inner form are lifted, and both inner 
and outer forms swing free from the wall. Then, by 
means of the jacks resting on the widely flanged base 
collar, the whole mechanism is lifted until in position 
for a. new fill and the forms are again set by means of 
the bolts and wedges. One fill a day is the customary 
rate of progress. 

These silos were 
originally made with- 
out chutes, but a 
chute form is now an 
integral part of the 
system. 

This chute form is 
carried by tw^o of the 
steel tees which are 
longer than the rest 
and is attached to 
the outer set of 
shells, taking the 
place of one of the 
separable sections. It 
is set to maintain the 
continuity of the silo 
wall and to mould a 
chute wall of a thickness of 6 inches where it joins the 
silo wall, gradually decreasing to 4 inches at the out- 
side. The outer shell of the chute form is released and 
bolted up in precisely the sam.e manner as the outer 
form of the machine is released and bolted up, the 




Twin Silos, 16x72 Feet, at Dayton 
State Hospital, Dayton, Ohio 



Concrete Silos 77 

outwardly curved sections forming the wall imme- 
diately adjacent to the silo wall proper being attached 
to the regular outer form sections. The inner form is 
released and set by means of a steel wedge similar to 
those used between the sections of the inner shell 
proper. 

Provision is made for the forming of doors opening 
into the chute and for the construction of a steel ladder 
inside of the chute. Reinforcement for the chute is 
handled as in the silo wall. 

The elliptical openings which are formed for the 
doors are 20x30 inches. They are usually spaced 24 
inches apart, but the number and arrangement of doors 
are optional with the builders. The elliptical shape 
has been chosen in order to avoid sharp angles. For the 
formation of this opening a sheet steel door is set be- 
tween the shells of the machine as the work progresses. 
This form moulds a concrete jamb 1 inch in width and 
1/2 inch in depth from the inner surface of the wall. 
Owing to the shape and draft of the form the jamb is 
left in perfect condition for sealing the door. Imme- 
diately after the machine has passed the opening the 
door form is removed. 

The door itself is made of heavily galvanized sheet 
steel, cut to fit snugly into the concrete jamb made by 
the form, flush with the inner wall and bent to the 
radius of the silo. On the outside of the door are 
fastened four malleable clips in which hook bolts en- 
gage. Across the opening on the outside of the silo 
wooden bars are placed through which these bolts pass. 
The desired stress is obtained by malleable tail nuts. 
In sealing the door a thin gasket of moist clay is 
smeared around the jamb before the door is set in 
place. 



78 Concrete Silos 

The silo ladder is made of 11/4x11/4x^8 inch steel 
angle runners and IxlxVs inch steel steps, the joints 
being electrically welded. It is secured to the concrete 
wall by strap screws which are screwed into spiral 
steel anchors imbedded in the wall during construc- 
tion. When the Avail is completed the temporary fillers 
in the anchors are removed and the strap screws are 
firmly inserted. The ladder is then bolted to the strap 
screws and is ready for use. Ordinarily the ladder is 
made up in lO-foot lengths, but sections of any length 
may be cut. 



CHAPTER X 

The Monsco System 

This is a system of construction with metal forms 
controlled by the Monolithic Silo and Construction 
Company, Chicago. These forms are made of No. 16- 
gauge galvanized sheet steel and are held true to shape 
by curved steel angle irons welded to the sheet, which 
reinforce the steel plates at the edges and through the 
middle. The forms are made in sections 3 feet high 
and the circumference of the silo is divided in 5 to 8 
segments, according to tlie size, this including the form 
for the chute, which, if desired, is cast at the same time 
as the walls of the silo. Sufficient forms are used in 
an outfit to form two complete circles around the silo. 

In starting the construction of the walls, one circle 
of these forms is placed on the foundation and poured 
full. The next circle of forms is then clamped to these 
and poured. This 6 feet will usually constitute a day's 
work. The next morning the bottom circle of forms 
is raised to the top and filled, after which the section 
below is raised and filled, this constituting the second 
day's work, and the operation is repeated until the 
desired height is reached. In other words, the operator 
is always pouring into a 3-foot section of mold firmly 
clamped to another 3-foot section filled with concrete, 
the concrete set sufficiently to eliminate the possibility 
of a w^all fracture. 

These silos have 6-inch walls, the thickness being 
the same from top to bottom. Forms are made for 
diameters of 10, 12, 14, 16, 18 and 20 feet. 

(79) 



80 



Concrete Silos 




Equipment for the Monsco System. 



Concrete Silos 



81 




Completing- a Monsco Silo. 

The construction is carried on by means of a center 
mast of steel, this mast carrying a steel frame for 
staging and also a revolving derrick carrying the 
buckets, by means of which the concrete is elevated 
and deposited. The elevation on the mast of both the 
staging and derrick are under control of the men on 
the staging, so that they can be readily moved up as 
the construction proceeds. The mast and staging 



82 



Concrete Silos 




Section of Mold at Chute: 



frame are entirely separate from the wall forms, the 
latter depending entirely for support on the 3 feet of 
wall when closed by the lower circle of forms; and as 
the upper section of the staging frame is always above 
the wall forms the same outfit will, of course, answer 
for varying diameters of silos. 

These silos are reinforced with triangle mesh rein- 
forcing, the selection of the reinforcing depending 
upon the size of the 
silo and being selected 
usually to provide suf- 
ficient strength with- 
out placing any addi- 
tional wires. The 
company recommends 
a 38-inch width, this 
allowing a 2-inch lap 
between courses. After a circle has been poured and 
it is desired to move up the lower section of the forms, 
the bucket at the end of the derrick is taken off and 
a wooden seat is suspended from the hook in its place. 
By this means a man is lowered to the outside of the 
forms and removes the clamps which hold the two 
sections together. The forms are drawn up by men 

on the scaffold 
by means of 
hooks which 
engage in holes 
„ in the angle 
iron welded to 
the top of the 
forms. The in- 

Monsco Roof Form. 

side forms are 
m a n i pulated 




Concrete Silos 83 

from a small auxiliary platform suspended below the 
main platform of the scaffold. As the construction is 
carried up, the mast is raised 'by means of two cast-steel 
worm-geared winches. 

The door on this silo is of the continuous type. It 
has a gas pipe running through the concrete on each 
side, and around which the ladder irons are engaged. 
The gas pipe has several strands of wire extending 
around it at frequent intervals and running back into 
the concrete 2 or 3 feet in order to provide a sufficient 
anchorage. The doors themselves are of wood. 

A special roof form, making a concrete roof, with 
dormer, is also supplied if desired. 



CHAPTER XI 

The Reichert System 

This is a system of monolithic construction devel- 
oped by the Reichert Manufacturing Company of Mil- 
waukee. It differs from other systems of this type in 
that the forms are made in sections 24 inches square, 
instead of in larger sections, so that each can be handled 
easily by one man. The small size also makes for ad- 
justability, a feature which is still further provided for 
by the fact that the sections are reinforced at top and 
bottom with strap steel instead of angles, thus allowing 
them to take the curvature of the particular size of silo 
under construction, to which they are then held by a 
rigid inner steel circle and by spacers placed at suit- 
able intervals. Silos of all diameters are thus made 
with the same outfit, except that fractional plates have 
to be used to fill out for the various sizes where the 
circumference does not work out in exact multiples of 
24 inches. 

An outfit consists of sufficient forms for three rings 
around the silo. This is enough for one day's run, 
or 6 feet in height, the practice followed by most con- 
tractors in using this system, although some are erect- 
ing 8 feet per day. 

The sections are reinforced vertically with angle 
irons, and when assembled the vertical joints are se- 
cured by clamps. These clamps are attached to one 
angle of each section and when in place fit down over 
the angle of the adjoining section, a push of the lever 
driving them up tight. These levers are downward aet- 

(84) 



Concrete Silos 



85 



ing, so that when it is 
desired to release 
them a jerk with the 
hook from above is 
all that is necessary. 

Each section is 
joined to the one 
above it by a hook at- 
tached to the upper 
edge of the lower sec- 
tion, which hooks 
over a raised rivet on 
the lower edge of the 
section above. This 
hook is pivoted and 
has a hole in the 
shank, so that a work- 
man above, after rais- 
ing the side clamps 
with a long hook, 
which is a part of the 
outfit, can insert the 
point of the hook in 
the shank of the hook 
on the lower form, 
with one operation 
disengaging the form 
from the one above it 
and drawing it up 
into its new position. 

There is in this sys- 
tem a center mast of 
steel tubing, carrying 
collars which can be 




ss? * 



Rei chert Silo With Square Chute 



86 Concrete Silos 

« 

moved up as the work progresses and to wliicli the radial 
staging arms are attached. There are two sets of these 
arms. The upper platform is flush with the top of the 
silo, from which the forms are manipulated and the pour- 
ing is done. Each of these arms consists of two angle 
irons telescoped on each other and with bolt holes at 
suitable intervals, so that they can be adjusted to the 
various diameters it is desired to build. At one end they 
rest in slots in the collars on the mast, and at the other 
end they rest on the circles of angle iron which are car- 
ried right up with the forms to give them their true 
shape. These circles are made in segments for easier 
handling, but can be rigidly clamped together for use. 

The upper ring, which holds the forms in shape, also 
carries a single track on which run the tw^o wheels of a 
small car. This car rests on a frame attached to a loose 
collar around the mast and just above the collar which 
carries the upper platform. It thus can be pushed 
around to any part of the circle desired, swinging 
around the mast as a pivot and the outer end carried by 
the wheels on the track. This car is merely a frame 
with bearings on which the bucket of concrete can be set 
when it is brought up from below, the arrangement being 
such that it can be tilted to dump into the forms, a steel 
apron being lattached to the car to direct the flow into 
the forms and prevent loss of concrete. 

A derrick, also attached to the mast in the center, 
by which all materials are handled, completes the 
outfit. 

The ordinary w^all thickness in this system is 6 
inches, though the adjustability is such that almost any 
desired thickness can be obtained, the only additional 
parts of the outfit needed being spacers for the desired 
thickness and perhaps additional fractional plates in 



Concrete Silos 



87 




order to make the outside ring fit the change of circum- 
ference. 

Two types of chute are provided for: a square 
chute is made witli 
the ordinary flat 
wall sections mad*' 
by the Reichert 
Manufacturing Com- 
pany, or a curved 
chute made with 
special sections pro- 
vided for the pur- 
pose. This system con- completing a Conical Roof 

templates the use on a continuous door, and door frames 
are provided with the outfit, to be set into the forms. 
They are slotted to carry the ladder irons. Intermittent 
door forms can also be supplied if desired. 

Reichert metal roof molds are made in two types. 
One of these is a dome roof, the form consisting of 
curved segments which rest on the silo wall proper and 
are locked to a hub at the top. The angles of the 
separate sections fit into slots in- the hub, thus locking 
the entire equipment 
together. The other 
type of roof consists 
of straight segments 
resting on the side 
walls and bolted to a 
ring at the top. The 

roof molds include Form Assembled for a Dome Roof 

complete equipment 

for making cornice and dormer window. No part of the 
mold is left in the structure, all being taken away and 
used repeatedly. 




88 Concrete Silos 

The reinforcing used in the Reichert silos is either 
Triangle mesh or square twisted steel bars. The mesh 
is used according to the table of the American Steel 
and Wire Companj^, as given on page 66. The bars are 
placed according to individual plans for each size as 
drawn up by the Reichert Manufacturing Company. 
Table VII, on page 68, gives in somewhat shortened 
form the scheme of reinforcing with bars as used by 
this company. 



CHAPTER XII 

Other Monolithic Systems 

Peerless Silo Molds. These molds are controlled by 
the New Enterprise Concrete Machinery Company, 
First National Bank Building, Chicago. They are made 
of sheet steel, reinforced with iron frame, and are suffi- 
ciently flexible so that various diameters of silos can be 
made with the same forms by using smaller plates to 
bring them to the proper circumference. The inside 
form is a No. 16 
steel and the outside 
form is a No. 18. The 
chute is poured at the 
same time as the main 
body of the silo wall. 

The unusual fea- 
ture of this system is 
the combined derrick 
and scaffold which 
rests upon the con- 
crete wall, doing 
away with the necessity of building up staging from 
the ground. The derrick and staging are raised 
by four small jacks or raising devices, stationed 
at the quarter points of the circumference, with a man 
at each jack. By this means the derrick-scaffold is 
raised first, before the forms are drawn up into place. 

These molds have a daily capacity of 5, 6, or 7V2 
feet, depending on the number and type used. The 6- 
foot molds are made in two rings of 3 feet each. The 




Peerless Outnt. 



(89) 



90 



Concrete Silos 




Peerless Silos at State School, Lincoln, 111. 
Dimensions, 17x50 Feet. 

usual custom at present, however, is to use 3 rings of 
21/2 feet each, thus building 71/2 feet of wall each day. 
Molds are built for a 5-inch wall unless otherwise 
preferred. 

Triangle mesh is used throughout for reinforcing. 
Metal doors and door frames of the continuous type, 



Concrete Silos 



91 




Peerless Outfit. First Ring of Mold Filled and Derrick Raised 
to Receive Second Ring". 

and either metal or concrete roof are included in the 
construction of these silos. 

Martin Adjustable Steel Silo Forms. These forms 
are made and sold by the Martin Concrete Form Com- 
pany, Ottawa, Kan. They^ build silos from 12 to 20 
feet in diameter. 

The outside form is made of 14-gauge steel and the 
inside form is made of 12-gauge steel. The top and 
bottom of the inside form are held in place by angle 
iron braces radiating from the center. Each section 
of the inside form is adjustable to a larger or smaller 
circle by means of turnbuckles. The size of the form 
is also changed by adding sections and adjusting the 



92 



Concrete Silos 



curvature of each section. The ends of each section 
are made with slideable edges and are provided vrith 
turnbuckles for con- 
tracting and expand- 
ing the forms. 

The form is raised 
by means of jacks 
operated from the 
platform. The rein- 
forcing rods run 
through the jacks. 
At the bottom of 
the jack is a collar 
clamped to the rein- 
forcing rod which 
supports the jack. 
The extension yoke 
which is attached to 
the inside and out- 
side form is bolted to 
the stationary nut of 
the jack. By turning 
the screw the nut is 
pushed up, pulling 
the form with it. 

These forms pro- 
vide for building 6 
to 10 feet of wall in 
height per day. 

Intermittent metal doors are used in this system. 
They are 20x22 inches in size, and are made entirely of 
cast iron except the hinges, which are mild steel. The 
frames are also of cast iron, and carry a groove for 




Buih 



^'ii' Willi AiarLiii Forms 



Concrete Silos 



93 



felt packing. Tlie^^ are set into tlie forms as the 
concrete is ponred. 

Van Guilder System. Tliis system, which is con- 
trolled by tile Van Guilder Hollow Wall Company, 




Van Guilder Hollow Wall Form 

Rochester, N. Y., makes a silo with either a single or 
a double wall. Either type is made with a small 
machine, as shown in the illustration, which is set on 
the footings tamped full of concrete, then removed and 
carried around to a new position, the operation con- 



94 Concrete Silos 

tinuing until a complete circle has been made. The 
machine is then set on the section of wall thus made 
and another section is carried around in the same way. 
The double wall machine makes a 4-inch air space and 
the walls are adjustable for thickness of from 4 to 6 
inches. The single wall machine can be adjusted to 
make walls from 5 to 8 inches thick. The machine is 
not adjustable to different diameters of silos. 

The Conklin System. Made by the Conklin Construc- 
tion Company, Hartford, Mich. The molds are of 
No. 16 black sheet steel held in shape by 11/2x1% 
angles riveted on. The inside forms are also reinforced 
with 11/2 inch channel steel in the center to keep them 
from buckling. The forms are made in sections 4 feet 
high, and two complete circles constitute an outfit, 
sufficient for a day's work of 8 feet of wall. 

The hoist is operated on a center mast of a 4-inch 
gas pipe and in 10-foot lengths Avith slip joints. One- 
inch holes are drilled at proper distances through the 
center mast for 1-inch pins. The jack bench and spider 
hub rest on the pins through the center mast. 

There are eight tee irons radiating from the spider 
hub and supported by rods and chains from the casting 
above. The rods and chains are adjustable. On the 
ends of the tee irons are adjustable tee irons or arms 
that may be taken up or let out for the different sizes 
of molds. [Boards are laid on the tee irons to make a 
scaffold for the men to operate the machine. 

From every other tee iron are suspended %-inch 
rods (4 in all) to hold two timbers (2x6 inches), on 
which a scaffolding is built completely over the inside 
of the silo. The men stand on that scaffold and do 
their work inside the job. 



Concrete Silos 95 

The boom is supported by two %-ineh rods with 
turnbuckles which swing around the center mast. It 
carries a car or traveler which carries the hoisting 
cable and cement bucket. 

The derrick is also used as a means of support for 
the workman who uncouples the outer forms when 
they are moved up. 

A sufficient area of steel is provided in the cross 
wires of triangle mesh reinforcement to prevent tem- 
perature cracks, thereby eliminating the necessity of 
laying additional reinforcement at right angles to the 
longitudinal or tension members. The common width 
is 54 inches. This allows for a 6-inch lap on each 4-foot 
section poured. 

The Conklin silos are equipped with continuous 
doors, 30x30 inches, of 1-inch lumber, with tar paper 
between, with felt gasket between door and cement. 
The doors are set in a 2-inch cement jamb, forming a 
solid construction. Ladder irons are placed about 
every 30 inches, made of 1-inch mild steel. 

The Conklin equipment is adapted to build the non- 
continuous type of doorway by leaving out the steel 
forms for blocking off the continuous doorway and 
adding the special form in the chute for making the 
non-continuous. By using this special form, any style 
of door (elliptical or square) can be used, by placing 
the door form between the special chute form and the 
inside silo form. 

The 2-E Flexible Silo Form. This form is 5 feet in 
length and build either a hollow or solid w^all. In 
building the silo the form is placed on the foundation 
and filled and tamped, then moved to a new location 
and filled again, the operation being repeated until the 



96 Concrete Silos 

entire circle is completed. The courses are 10 inches 
high. The form is sold by M. L. Schhietter, 223 West 
Illinois Street, Chicago. 

Blumer's Perfect Silo Forms. These are galvanized 
iron forms reinforced with angle irons and made in 
large segments so that two or three large sections, pos- 
sibly with a small filler, will make a complete circle 
around silo. Bracing rods are attached to the inner 
sections, across which plank may be placed for work- 
men to stand upon while drawing up sections or filling 
in with concrete. These forms are sold by St. Jacobs 
Lumber and Hardware Company, St. Jacobs, 111. 



CHAPTER XIll 
The Pit Silo 

Instead of being built above ground, as is the ordi- 
nary fashion, a silo may consist of a hole excavated in 
the earth and plastered with cement mortar. This is 
known as the Pit Silo. 

This type of silo has apparently but one advantage, 
and that is the advantage of cheapness. A pit silo is 
not to be considered as a permanent improvement. If 
it is necessary to put in a temporary expedient, how- 
ever, as is the case of a tenant on a farm, who would 
in many cases not be justified in going to the expense 
of building a permanent silo, the pit silo will do very 
well. In fact it will fulfill its purpose much better 
than the wood silo, the only other type of construction 
which would be considered under such circumstances, 
and is usually much cheaper as well. 

It must be borne in mind, however, that it is not 
practicable to build pit silos in all localities. They 
can be built to advantage only in soil which has a low 
water level, so as to preclude the possibility of damp- 
ness in the silo. 

The depth of 20 feet is considered about the limit 
of practicability for such a silo in any event because of 
the difficulty of removing the silage ; but it should not 
go to this depth if there is a possibility of striking 
water. Of course it would be possible to seal a structure 
effedtually against moisture, even at a considerable 
head ; but this would be an expense which such a struc 
ture would not justify, it being much better to expend 
the money on an above-ground silo. 

(97) 



98 Concrete Silos 

While silage will keep very well in a pit silo if the 
silo is made moisture proof, there is one insurmountable 
objection to this form of silo as above suggested, and 
that is the difficulty of getting the silage out. The 
advocate of this form of construction will say that this 
is offset in a measure by the ease with which the pit 
silo is filled; but when it is considered that the filling 
is done in favorable weather, while the silage is re- 
moved during the winter, this does not constitute as 
great an offset as might at first appear. Furthermore, 
there is a tendency in constructing the pit silo to rely 
entirely too much on the stability of the ground, simply 
giving a plaster coat to form a smooth interior wall. 
This plaster will crack sooner or later, depending on 
the condition of the soil; while, if the builder goes to 
to the trouble of preparing an inner form and pouring 
a substantial monolithic wall, this expense, added to 
the eost of excavation, will show little gain over an 
above-ground silo. 

In the case of pit silos it must also be remembered 
that there is a possibility of carbon dioxide gas collect- 
ing in the bottom and making it dangerous for persons 
to enter. This gas is apt to form in larger quantities 
within a day or two after the filling begins, so that if 
it is necessary to partially fill the silo and then let it 
stand for a time, a lighted lantern should be lowered 
into the pit before entering it. If it is found to contain 
gas, running the cutter for a few minutes and empty- 
ing its contents into the silo will usually set up a suffi- 
oient current of air to carry the gas away. 

There are three types of pit silos: Plain holes in 
the ground, where the walls are plastered and the silage 
is cropped in and lifted out at the top; holes in the 
ground, but with the silo extended above the ground 



Concrete Silos 



99 



from 4 to 12 feet, the roof placed above this, and the 
silage removed through the side of the upper part; 
silos built similar to either of the other two, but set in 
the bank so that retaining walls which act as a chute 
are placed up and down beside a line of doors. If there 
is a bank barn and the retaining walls connect the silo 
to the barn, the conditions are ideal. 

Of the three types of pit silos mentioned above, the 
last is the most convenient, also the most expensive. 
The first is the cheapest 




COI^CRtTC 
CORB 



PLASTERELO 




Section Throug-h Pit Silo 



and likewise the least con- 
venient. 

Most silos are con- 
structed by commencing 
at the bo-ttom and build- 
ing up ; but a pit silo can 
be constructed by com- 
mencing at the top and 

building down. By building a silo in this manner, the 
ground acts as a staging and no lumber or labor is re- 
quired for that purpose. 

The first step in the construction of a pit silo con- 
sists in affording sufficient prote<ition to the edge of the 
excavation to prevent crumbling or caving. An exact 
circle should be marked out on the ground of the size 
of the proposed excavation. Immediately outside of 
this circle a trench should be excavated not less than 
18 inches deep and not less than 1 foot wide. This 
trench should be filled with concrete properly made. 
As soon as the concrete in the trench has set and suffi- 
ciently hardened the excavation may be proceeded with. 

A hay carrier track should be arranged above the 
proposed excavation at sufficient height so that the dirt 
from the carrier may be dropped into a wagon placed 



100 Concrete Silos 

for the purpose of receiving it. This track should have 
an upward slope toward the wagon so that when the 
carrier is unloaded it will return of its own weight to 
the stop, which should be placed exactly above the 
middle of the silo. 

The carrier is best made of a strong box with a 
hinged bottom, with a fastening that may be easily 
secured and easily loosened. This may be attached to 
the hay carrier by chains or ropes so arranged that the 
box when loaded will b'alance. A horse on the end 
of the tackle rope or a gasoline engine with a lifting 
appliance will do the lifting. When this appliance is 
arranged in a satisfactory manner it becomes an easy 
matter to take care of the earth from the excavation. 

The excavation should be made in such a way that 
the walls are perpendicular and smooth. When the 
excavation has been carried to about 10 feet (and this 
distance is chosen because experience has proved that 
it is most satisfactory for the purpose), the walls of the 
excavated part should be given a good coating of the 
best cement concrete mixture. This should consist of 
not less than 1 part of Portland cement to 21/^ parts of 
screened sand. The sand should be sharp, not too 
coarse, and free from day. The first coat should be 
left rough, and the second coat immediately applied 
before the first coat hardens. In order that this work 
may be well done, it is best to employ an experienced 
mason for this purpose. The first two coats should 
constitute a single coating not less than s^.inch in 
thickness. When this coat has had sufficient time to 
harden enough to be protected against injury, the ex- 
cavation may be continued to another depth of 10 
feet, and the plastering repeated. 



Concrete Silos 101 

It is well to provide for some drainage at the bot- 
tom of the silo. This may be done in the following 
manner: "When the excavation is finished the earth 
floor of the silo should slope toward the center. Here 
a hole should be dug large enough to receive a drain- 
age tile 30 inches long of any desired diameter. The 
drainage tile should be inserted in this hole, and cov- 
ered with an iron grating with a mesh sufficiently 
small to be a protection against rodents. The bottom 
should then be covered with cement in the same man- 
ner that the sides are covered, and this cement should 
join the grating and hold it in place. Any moisture 
that accumulates in the silo may in this manner be 
drained off, preventing both annoyance and waste. 

For convenience, it is better, after the silo has been 
finished, to put a masonry extension above ground for 
a distance of at least 4 feet, with a door upon one 
side through which the carrier used in removing silage 
may pass. This extension may be built of poured con- 
crete, providing forms can be made for the purpose, 
or it may be made of concrete blocks properly con- 
structed, or of any material that to the builder seems 
most desirable. 

A roof should be provided, and this should be made 
in such a manner as to allov/ the free use of the car- 
rier and track that are used in removing the silage. 

If it is desired to give the pit silo somewhat more 
stability than can be attained by plastering on the 
bare ground, a metal fabric can be used and the plas- 
ter coat placed on this. Stakes can be driven into 
the earth walls of the silo and the metal fabric fas- 
tened to these stakes. 



CHAPTER XIV 



The Metal Lath Sn.o 

The construction of the metal lath silo has been 
treated in considerable detail by Mr. Geo. C. Wheeler, 
specialist in animal husbandry of the Kansas State 
Agricultural College, Manhattan, Kans., in an article 
published in a bulletin of that institution. This article 
has also been reprinted, with slight modifications, by 
the Northwestern Exj^anded Metal Company, of Chi- 
cago, and we can do no better than to follow quite 
closely the information there given. 

The first round of the metal lath which forms the 
chief reinforcement of this silo must have its edge em- 
bedded 5 or 6 inches in the top of the foundation, in 
order to insure a perfect union between the foundation 
and the wall proper. When the footing trench has 




Cross Section of Foundation of Hy-Rib Silo. 

been filled to within about 6 inches of the top and the 
concrete brought to an approximate level, the lath, 
which comes in strips 8 feet long and 18 inches wide, 

(102) 



Concrete Silos 103 

should be stood on edge on this base and concrete 
should be poured on both sides of it. Its position 
should be on a circle having a radius 2 inches greater 
than the inside radius of the finished silo. The strips 
of lath should be lapped about 3 inches at the ends. 
When the circle is completed, the wall outside of the 
lath should be carefully leveled. In eight or ten hours 
the dirt inside of the foundation wall may be thrown 
out to within 10 or 12 inches of the bottom of the 
concrete. 

In building this type of silo it is necessary to erect 
on the inside a scaffold of at least four platforms be- 
fore any other work can be done. It is very important 
that this scaffold be so constructed that the plank run- 
ways of the four platforms shall be at a uniform dis- 
tance from the wall of the silo. In silos 14 feet or 
greater in diameter, a six-legged scaffold is used. For 
a 12-foot silo, a scaffold of only four legs is needed. In 
order to place this scaffold properly there should be 
marked on the floor of the excavation a circle having a 
radius 2 feet less than the radius of the silo. The six 
legs of the scaffold, granted that a six-legged one is to 
be used, should stand on this circle and should be equi- 
distant from each other. The distance will be equal 
to the radius of the circle upon which they stand; the 
sweep used in marking this circle may therefore be 
used as a measure, marking the place for each leg to 
stand on the circle until the six points are located. It 
will be much more convenient to have the door open- 
ing of the silo come between two legs of the scaffold 
than directly opposite one. 

All the crossj^ieces should be of 2x4 material and of 
such length as to extend at least a foot outside the 



104 



Concrete Silos 



legs of the scaffold. The planks to form the runway 
on the outside should be of 2x8 material, and in a silo 
16 feet in diameter should be 8 feet long. If the silo 
is to be 36 or 37 feet high^ it will be necessary to make 
five platforms. It is convenient to have the top plat- 
form come within 3 or 4 feet of the top of the silo, since 
the work of raising the 2x4's and nailing the plate on 
top is done from this platform. 

The following table shows dimensions of plate seg- 
ments and number required for silos of different sizes : 



Inside 


Dimensions 


No. of 




diameter of 


of segment 


segments 


Radius 


silo 


C. D. 


required 




12 feet 


2 ft., 10 1/2 in. 


26 


6 feet 


14 feet 


3 ft., 4 1/5 in. 


26 


7 feet 


16 feet 


3 ft., 10 in. 


26 


8 feet 


18 feet 


3 ft., 9 in. 


30 


9 feet 



The plate is sawed from lx6-inch material, which 
should be either fir or cypress. The plan of making 
the pattern is shown in the plate. A piece of the 6-inch 
board should be securely fastened to a work bench or 
barn floor, 
and after the 
distance C-D 
has been de- 
t e r m i n e d 
fro m the 

table, these Detail of Plate. 

points should be carefully marked upon one edge of the 
board. Locate the center of the desired curve by the 
use of a sweep, through wiiich two small nails have been 
driven, the distance between them being exactly the in- 
side radius of the silo. Using C and D as centers, de- 
scribe intersecting arcs, thus locating the desired center. 
Drive one nail of the sweep at the intersection of these 




- Concrete Silos 105 

arcs. With the other nail mark the curve on the 1x6- 
inch board. With a straight-edge, extend the radius 
across the board, locating the lines at ends of board for 
sawing off, as shown by dotted lines in the plate. This 
pattern should be carefully sawed out and used in 
marking out the rest of the segments necessary. These 
plate pieces are to be doubled and the joints broken as 
the plate is built up. 

In order to cast the posts or door jambs for the con- 
tinuous door opening used in this type of silo and to 
properly hold the reinforcing in place, a form must be 
constructed extending the full height of the silo above 
the foundation. One of the plates gives the details of 
construction of this form. The 6-inch boards should be 
scribed the full length, II/2 inches from the outside 
edge. Beginning at the bottom, the points for the rods 
should be located 26 inches apart on this line. Holes 
should be bored at each one of these points with a bit 
1/16-inch larger than the size of the rods to be used. 
These 6-ineh boards are then ripped apart upon this 
line. 

The next step is to nail together the 8-inch board 
C and the wider part of the 6-inch board A. Five or 
six pieces of 6-inch board (E in the plate), should now 
be sawed and nailed to the underside of the 8-inch 
boards, care being taken that the two sides of the 
form are squared with each other before these boards 
are nailed into place. To insure a uniform distance 
between the posts when tlie form is completed a gauge 
18 inches long should be prepared and used between 
the two halves of the form during this nailing. The 
2x2 's, which have been dressed out aiid sawed the 
proper length, may now be securely nailed in the 



106 



Concrete Silos 



V ^-:^ 



5-4li 



corners of these two boxes, care being taken that the 

bevel is laid in the right direction. The rods, which 

should be of %- 

inch iron and 32 

inches long, 

with a 2-inch 

right angle 

turned at each 

end, can now be 

placed in the 

holes, and the 

n a r r o Av strip 

which was 

ripped off can 

be cleated back 

into place. A 

cleat should be 

used at each rod 

and should be 

carefully nailed 

with 4-penny 

nails. The 2x4 's 

(H in the plate), 

which have 

been spliced together to a length of exactly 30 feet, 

may now be placed in the form, to which they may be 

fastened by means of boards across the front. These 

2x4 's should be gauged out 7 inches from board A. 

The door form is now ready to be raised into place. 
When it has been raised to a vertical position, it should 
be lifted up high enough so that the 8-inch board can 
be let down on the inside of the metal lath already in 
place. The 2x4's should rest squarely on the founda- 







^7 




I 


^ 








H ' H 










-.^-_-_-_----^^^^_--------,V--|f t 

lilr^ Hi! 








M ^ 


_ 






< 






^£~ 






y g-i 






1-^ ^^ 






















- 


_. 










Y^-^~ s-^ 





















3 




B 


1 
1 
1 


\ 
& 


^ 






B 


/• 


fl 




< 




J 







ELLVATION 




DE.TAIL OF "A" 

Tempo mrjf i^4'Jftigiir^ 



SECTION 

Detail of Door Frame. 



Concrete Silos 107 

tion and against the lath on the outside. This form 
must now be carefully plumbed and held in place by 
short braces to the posts and planking of the scaf- 
fold. All braces must be nailed to the form on the 
inside so as not to interfere with the subsequent plac- 
ing of the metal lath or other material. 

The 2x4 studding should be prepared for raising 
by being spliced together to a length exactly of 30 
feet, or the exact height of the silo above the founda- 
tion. The splice may be made by lapping the ends and 
nailing them together with three 16-penny nails. 

The plate pieces, which have been sawed out in 
accordance with the figures given, should now be 
hoisted to the top of the platform of the scaffold. Light 
gauges should be prepared for use in space the 2x4 's. 
It is a good plan to have the gauge used on the top 
platform notched at one end so that it may be used in 
placing the inner edge of the 2x4 2 inches out from 
the inner edge of the plate. 

In raising the studding to place, begin operations 
by taking one of the plate pieces and nailing it across 
the top of the door form, which is already in place, the 
inside edge being placed 2 inches in from the edge of 
the 2x4 's. A single 8-penny nail driven into the top 
of each 2x4 is sufficient to hold this in place. Now 
build out two or three sections of the ])late, breaking 
joints and doubling, securely nailing together the two 
layers with 6-penny nails. In raising the 2x4 's, a light 
line is a great convenience, one end of it being made 
fast to the top end of the 2x4's with a timber hitch, so 
that one of the men on top can pull the stick up, while 
the man below carries the foot toward the scaft'old 
and sets it in the proper place on the foundation. This 



108 



Concrete Silos 



2x4 should be spaced out the proper distance from the 
2 X 4 of the door form, also out 2 inches from the inside 
edge of the 
plate ; a 16- 
penny nail 
should be 
driven into it 
through the 
plate. Raise 
the next 2x4 
in like man- 
ner, building 
the plate on 
ahead two or 
three sections 
at a time. As 
soon as three 
or four 2x4 's 
are in place, 
a p ie c e of 
light mate- 
rial, such as 
ordinary 
weather- 
boarding, 
should be 
bent to the 
form of a 
hoop and 

nailed to each 2x4, 4 or 5 feet above the foundation, 
with a 4-penny nail, spacing the studding with the same 
length of gauge as has been used at the top. 

These strips of weather boarding should be ex- 
tended as the 2x4 's are set until circle is completed. 




Raising- the Door i'"oim, 



Concrete Silos 109 

Since the door form is carefully plumbed before 
one begins to raise the 2x4 's, little difficulty is experi- 
enced, as a rule, in having the whole structure stand 
perpendicular when the circle is complete. In order 
to have the segments of the plate unite properly, it 
will probably be necessary to loosen the braces, which 
w^ere nailed on top before the circle was complete. 
After the parts of the plate have been brought to- 
gether the braces should again be nailed in place, so 
that the scaffold and the studding may be securely 
tied together. A second hoop should be placed around 
the silo about halfway down from the top ; and if the 
2x4 's are very crooked and badly out of line, it may 
be necessary to place still another hoop. 

The pieces of gas-pipe, which have previously been 
cut to the right length, should now be placed in each 
door box and wired to the ends of the rods across the 
door form. 

The 24-gauge expanded metal or metal lath is used 
in the construction of this silo. It comes in bundles, 
each bundle usually containing nine strips, 8 feet long 
and 18 inches wide. A bundle of this size contains 12 
square yards and weighs 40^2 pounds. This metal lath 
is tacked to the inside of the studding with double- 
pointed tacks. The work of placing it should begin at 
the top, starting at the door post. The end of the 
first strip should be passed through the opening in the 
side of the door box and bent around the gas-pipe 
already in place. Bach strip of lath should be tacked first 
in the middle ; the workman should go from that place 
toward the end, and should, as the tacks are driven, 
push out the lath so that it naturally takes the form of 



110 



Concrete Silos 



the circle. 
The end of 
the second 
piece should 
be lapped at 
least 3 inches 
on the piece 
already 
placed. So 
continue un- 
til the gas- 
pipe on the 
other side of 
the door is 
reached. A 
good pair of 
snips will be 
necessary in 
all this work, 
since there is 
considerab 1 e 
cutting of 
lath. Where 
the ends of 
lath pass the 
hooks of the 
rods across 

the door it will be necessary to split tlie end back 
about 4 inches, so that it can be bent around the gas- 
pipe properly. It is very important that the end pass- 
ing around the gas-pipe be long enough to encircle it 
completely. Two workmen are needed to do this work 
to good advantage, and more men can be used if they 




Placing Door Frame Reinforcement 



Concrete Silos 111 

are available. The different rounds of the lath should 
lap from i/4 to y2 inch, and in case any bagging is seen 
the edges must be wired together with light wire. This 
will prevent a great deal of annoyance to the plasterers 
in placing the first coat of plaster. Whenever it be- 
comes necessary to splice the ends between studding, 
the splices must be carefully wired together. When 
the ends are spliced on the studding and lapped 3 
inches, this wiring is not necessary. This expanded 
metal lath has a right and a wrong side, and the best 
results are secured if the material is so placed that the 
slant of the mesh is upward when looked at from the 
inside. If, when the bottom is reached, the lath does 
not come out even, which is usually the case, the last 
round may be left full width in case there is enough 
lath to allow this. Care taken in getting this lath 
smoothly placed and carefully wired will mean the 
saving of money later, since the plasterers can make 
better headway where this work has been properly 
done. 

Although the first silos of this type contained no 
other reinforcement than the metal lath, it has since 
been thought desirable to place additional horizontal 
reinforcement in the form of strands of heavy wire 
completely encircling the silo. These wire strands 
cannot be placed until all of the inside plastering is 
done and the studding is removed. Provision must be 
made, however, for their attachment to the vertical re- 
inforcement in the door post before any mortar is 
placed. 

Means of attachment at the doors can be most easily 
provided for by fastening short wire loops to the gas- 



112 Concrete Silos 

pipe in the door post. A 16-foot silo, 30 feet high, 
should have at least 150 pounds of additional wire 
reinforcement. Since the pressure is much greater at 
the bottom, gradually decreasing toward the top of the 
silo, a larger amount of the wire should be placed in 
the lower part of the wall. The table shows the cor- 
rect spacing of the wires in a 16-foot silo below. The 
loops attached to the gas-pipe to which these wire 
strands are later to be fastened should be placed in 
accordance with this table, and may be put in place 
at the time at which the lath is being tacked to the 
studding, or just before the plastering begins. 

Table showing proper spacing of extra wire reinforcement for 
silo 16 feet in diameter. 

Feet from top Number of strands of 

of silo No. 9 wire required. 

0- 4 1 strand for every 24 

4- 8 1 strand for every 24 

8-12 1 strand for every 24 

12-16 1 strand for every 12 inches. 

16-20 2 strands for every 12 

20-24 2 strands for every 8V> inches. 

24-28 2 strands for every 614 inches. 

28-32 2 strands for every 5 

32-36 2 strands for every 4 inches. 

Silos of larger size will require one additional 
strand of No. 9 wire for every 2 foot increase in 
diameter. 

After the metal lath and the wire loops are in place, 
the thin boards, K, should be nailed in place, care being 
taken to press the edge as tightly as possible against 
the lath, since this box is to be later filled with mor- 
tar. Plenty of nails should be used to hold these 
boards, but the heads should be left slightly out so 
that they may easily be drawn later. If this precau- 
tion is not taken, some difficulty may be experienced 
in removing this board when the proper time comes. 



inches, 
inches, 
inches, 
inches, 
inches, 
inches, 
inches, 
inches. 



Concrete Silos 



113 



Bolts are used to secure the plate to the finished 
wall of the silo, and these must be in place hefore the 
plastering be- 
gins. Then 
%-incli bolts 
10 inches 
long will be 
sufficient for 
silos not ex- 
ceeding 1 6 
feet in diam- 
eter. Holes 
should be 
bored in the 
plate and 
should be 
spaced at as 
nearly equal 
distances 
apart as pos- 
sible. The 
bolts should 
be supplied 
with washers 
and should 
be passed 
through the 
plate from 

below, and the nuts put on. The bolts should hang 
down below the plate just inside the metal lath so as 
to be covered by the first coat of plaster. 

It is almost necessary to have a chute on the silo, 
and provision should be made for attaching this chute 




Aj'Plying tile i-^ii.-i «.\)aL vf I'laster to the Inside. 



114 Concrete Silos 

by placing five or six bolts % inch by 4 inches in a 
perpendicnlar line 3 or 4 inches outside of the door 
post. These bolts may be passed through the metal 
lath with the nuts on the outside. As the plastering 
progresses, care should be taken that the bolts are 
made to project perpendicularly from the wall. 

The mixture for the scratch coat consists of 1 part 
of cement, 21/2 parts of sand, and 10' per cent as much 
hydrated lime as cement. About 1 bushel of hair to 
every 300 square feet of surface to be covered must be 
used in this first coat. For the plastering of a silo 16 
by 30 feet, about 7 sacks of hydrated lime and 5 bush- 
els of hair will be required. The lime should be soaked 
up 10 or 12 hours before it is to be used. The hair 
should be thoroughly beaten part on a bam floor, and 
after being soaked several hours should be carefully 
picked to pieces and worked into the lime putty which 
has been prepared. If care is used, the hair will be 
thoroughly mixed with the lime and the mixture can 
be added to each batch of the cement mortar as it is 
being prepared for use. It will take about 11/2 pailfuls 
to each 2 bag batch of mortar. It will be well for the 
plasterer to make some estimate as to the right amount 
of this to use in each batch, so as to have enough to 
use for the whole scratch-coat. This coat will require 
about 13 two-bag batches of mortar for 16x30 foot 
silo. 

Two good plasterers will be required, and four 
tenders, two to measure materials and mix the mortar, 
one to carry and elevate it to the proper platform, and 
the fourth to receive the mortar on the platform and 
place it on the mortar-boards. This last man should 
do all the moving and shifting work, so that the plas- 
terers may not be delayed at any time. 



Concrete Silos 115 

Sometime during the process of applying the 
scratch coat, the space under the door should have been 
cased up inside and out and filled with mortar mixed 
in the proportion of 1 part of cement to 2% parts of 
sand. A strip of wood should be placed across the bot- 
tom so that the shoulder which is east at the side of 
the doors will be continued across the bottom of the 
door. 

When the scratch coat is all on, the door posts are 
to be filled. Since the 8-inch boards forming the in- 
side of the form have a tendency to spring back under 
the weight of the mortar, some provision must be made 
to hold these boards rigidly in place. This can easily 
be accomplished by firmly nailing short braces to the 
scaffold plank at each platform, the ends being braced 
solidly against the back of the form. 

If this work can be completed b}^ quitting time at 
night, or even by working overtime, the thin boards 
on the inside can be removed the next morning. Con- 
siderable care must be used in removing these boards, 
since the mortar will be rather green and easily in- 
jured. The placing of the remaining layers of plaster 
can now proceed with no further delay. 

The mixture for the second layer of plaster should 
consist of 1 part of cement to 2i/^ parts of sand, and 
should be applied in three coats, giving a total thick- 
ness, including the scratch-coat of at least 1% inches. 
In applying these coats, begin at the top and work 
down, one coat following the other as rapidly as pos- 
sible. An old broom should be kept on the scaffold, 
and the helper should rough up each coat as soon as it 
has wet sufficiently, so that succeeding coats will not 
be applied to the glossy surface left by the trowel. It 



116 Concrete Silos 

is necessary at all times to keep water upon the scaffold, 
since many times the work will dry too rapidly and it 
will become necessary to sprinkle the wall before the 
next coat of plaster is applied. 

Before applying the last layer of plaster to the in- 
side, the inner part of the door form should be removed. 
With this form out of the way, the finish coat, consist- 
ing of equal parts of cement and screened sand, may be 
smoothly applied in such a manner as to leave the in- 
side surface flush with the face of the door post. The 
use of water is very important during the application 
of this coat. A force pump, preferably a pump run by 
a gasoline engine and a line of hose, is a great con- 
venience in keeping the walls thoroughly wet. 

The finish coat should be smoothed up neatly. When 
it has sufficiently set, one of the plasterers should mix 
up a wash of pure cement and give it what is commonly 
called a ^' slush coat." It should be the aim of the 
plasterer to finish this coat and have it set without the 
appearance of checks of any kind. This coat should 
extend down upon the foundation wall to the bottom 
of the silo. 

Under ordinary conditions, by the time the inside 
is finished, the wall, which is now 2 inches thick, has 
set sufficiently to permit the removal the outside stud- 
ding and parts of the door form still in place. The 
inside scaffold should be removed also; one should 
begin at the top and pass the material out through the 
door opening. The first step in taking down the tem- 
porary studding is to remove all the hooping material. 
When the foot is forced loose, the 2x4 may be pulled 
out straight from the silo until it is free except for the 
nail at the top. By pulling down on the stick, one may 
detach it from this nail and lay it on the ground. It 



Concrete Silos 



117 



is a good plan to determine the number of legs neces- 
sary for the outside scaffold before removing these 
studs. By leaving two of them at each point where the 
scaffold legs 



are to stand, 


- • 


J 


they can la- 


^limi Hi 


ter be loos- 


BV^^VHRRlMm ^'^sl 


ened from 


^^ f^^'^HWilB--- m 11 


the w^all and 


mil _ '^"M- 1 li 


stood out at 
the proper 


^^^lBiii%ii 


places, thus 


'--'• Bmb^K \m mm 


saving the la- 


^'' WMmH M mi' 


bor of raising 


J8'{|fi£p' -*, 1 


them from 


1 VKp' 1 1 '-§' - 


the ground 


'; f P , ji ' \| 


again while 


i;;^f 1 -'^ ij 


building the 


^,_!p^c^ ' ] t 


outside stag- 
ing. 


^' 1 : - 1 

Wl^^ 5 X. 1 mm. 


Before the 
plastering on 
the outside is 


Jinn 1 1 


begun the ex- 
tra wire re- 


*■''■ 


' R^ \m^ 


inforcement 


: ■ 


'^^99 I'l^^ 


should be put 
in place. 


^_Js^^_ j il2f' i^^ 


This wire is 


Pouring the Door Posts. 


to be a t- 




tached to the wire loops which now lie flat on the out- 


side of the wall. The number of strands of wire to be 


placed at each 


loop is given ii 


a the table. These hoops 



118 



Concrete Silos 



of wire should be passed around the silo and attached 
to the loops on the opposite side. Continue this process 
until all hoops have })aiuls of wires attached to them. 
The lumber 

r:" 



ofJ'P/a/^k., 







JTT //etc tVi/v/tMAi/'x*- 

Z4&u / y iT '/Oto Sum' 
^jiMsM /a/A Par/}/)M/ 



Tto 



^ 



>/- 



Tfmarrar/ /x4' 
J/Mat^a S/wciTi/ 



> SVire re/nforcmaibJv 
f puf an af/o- rort/v/'- 
. a/y /'x^'S/t/Oifma 
/J /-emffya/ 




SILO WITH DUAIL OF CHUTL. 



used for the inside 
scaffold is to be 
used in building a 
scaffold on the 
outside, the 30- 
foot 2x4 's left in 
place being used 
for the legs of the 
scaffold. Care 
must be taken ^:hat 
the inside legs and 
the plank runway 
of this scaffold are 
at such a distance 
from the wall of 
the silo as will be 
convenient for the 
plasterers to work. 
The outside 
layer of plaster 
should be at least 
1 inch in thickness 
and should be ap- 
plied in 2 coats, 
using one part of 
cement to 2i/2 
parts of sand. The use of the darby on the last out- 
side coat will add to the appearance of the silo. A 
float finish gives a pleasing appearance to the outside. 



^ 



VERTICAL SECTION OF WALL 



^4/?au t ie X/!ff Surn ' 
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Wire Mah/brceu 



HORIZONTAL SEHION CT WALL AT DOOZ 



Concrete Silos 



119 



The use of a wash coat of pure cement as a final finish 
will also greatly improve looks of the silo. The walls 
should be thoroughly wet before this coat is applied. 

The finished silo should be wet thoroughly once 
daily for at least a week after the jo^b is complete. The 
use of water is a very important factor in the securing 
of a good concrete job built above ground, since the 
constant tendency is for the material to dry before 
proper setting can take place. 

The same type of doors described for use in the 
solid-wall silo with continuous door opening can be 
used in this silo. 

In order to provide against freezing of silage in se- 
verely cold climates, a double-wall metal-lath silo has 
been developed, as illustrated herewith. The sill 
is made of 2-foot lengths of 2x4 's imbedded in r* 
the concrete foundation. The studding 
are 2x4 's spliced to the proper lengths . i'. 
as outlined for the temporary 
studding used in construct- 
ing the single wall metal 
lath silo. These 




Roof for Metal Lath Silo 



studding are set on the sill and are toe-nailed to it. 
On each side of the door opening are set two 2x4 's 
spiked together to form 4x4 's for the door frame. 



120 



Concrete Silos 



These are bolted together across the opening by % inch 
rods. A jamb for the doors to fit against is formed by 
sawing a 2x4 as outlined previously in this chapter. 
The plate at the top of the silo is made the same as for 
a single wall silo. After the frame has been completed 
metal lath is stapled to both the inside and outside of 




Concrete Silo for Walker Bros., Walkerville, Ont. 

Note the attractive appearance of permanent Concrete Silo (at 
left) compared with wood silo (at right) which is already showing 
signs of deterioration. 




(121) 



122 



Concrete Silos 



the studding, placed Avith the long dimension around 
the silo. 

In estimating the quantity of metal lath required for 
a double wall silo, the table given in this chapter can 
be used, remembering to use just twice the amounts. 

Silos are also made from the various special pat- 
ented types of metal lath now on the market. With 
some of these it is found to be possible to erect the 
silo without the use of the temporary studding previ- 
ously described. 

One such is the product known as Hy-Rib, made by 
the Trussed Concrete Steel Company, Youngstown, 0. 
This is a herringbone metal lath with deep corrugations 
or ribs pressed in it at regular intervals, these giving 




Hy-Rib Acts As a Form and Reinforcement for the Concrete. 
Note the temporary wood frame for metal sheets. If the 
wood frame-worlv is to be removed the sheets must be wired 
tog-ether. If 2x4-inch rafters are to be left the metal may be 
nailed lightly to them and the cross boards onlv removed. 
This is undoubtedly the quickest and cheapest method. 



Concrete Silos 123 

it strength and stability. The type usually recom- 
mended for silos is made from 24 gauge metal, has the 
ribs 4 inches apart and 15/16 inch high, and comes in 
sheets 24 inches wide and 10 and 12 feet long. For 
silo work these sheets are curved at the mill to the de- 
sired radius. These sheets can either extend down into 
the foundation, as shown in the illustration, or can 
begin at the top of the foundation. In the latter case 
dowel pins are set in the foundation, and allowed to 
extend several inches above it, for attaching the first 
ring of Hy-Rib. The construction as shown in the illus- 
tration is recommended, however, carrying the metal 
down to the footings. 

It will be noted also that rib bars are used to give 
stability to the walls while being plastered. These are 
% inch ribs, wired to the metal sheets, and left in as 
a permanent part of the silo. Plaster is applied on both 
sides of the metal to a total thickness of 3 or 3I/2 inches. 

In this type of construction the builder may erect 
the metal to a height of 30 feet before beginning to 
plaster, or he may erect it in sections and plaster, as 
desired. After any plastering is done, however, it will 
require at least a half day to harden before any more 
metal is placed. 

The roof of a Hy-Rib concrete silo may be of a cone 
shape, a dome shape, or an octagonal hip, which are all 
constructed of Hy-Rib covered with 2 inches of con- 
crete, back-plastered underneath. The chute may be 
built in connection with the side walls using Hy-Rib of 
any desired size, thereby making the chute, side walls 
and roof of silo one complete unit with the foundation. 

A silo similar to the above is made by the use of 
Trusridge expanded metal, made by the Edwards 
Metal Structures Company, Kansas City, Mo. In this 



124 Concrete Silos 

case, however, i/2-incli pipe is used for studs, to which 
the metal is wired. The pipes are furnished in 10 and 
12-foot lengths, threaded for unions, and are held in 
place by a ring of angle iron which has holes punched 
in it for the pipes. This ring holds the pipes to a true 
circle. 



CHAPTER XV 

The Concrete Stave Silo 

The concrete stave silo is patterned after the wood 
stave silo, and has been developed in an attempt to 
introduce some of the elements of ease of erection and 
low cost of the wood silo, combining with them the 
features so desirable in concrete. 

These silos are built up of members resembling 
staves, and erected and held together in the same 
manner. It would manifestly be impossible, however, 
to make them in such lengths as are handled in wood, 
so that the length of the concrete staves is limited 
usually to 28 or 30 inches. They may be either made 
on the job, or shop-cast and moved to the place of erec- 
tion. In this latter case they can usually be cured 
under better conditions and there will not be the dan- 
ger of hurrying them into the structure before the 
proper curing has taken place. These staves are usu- 
ally poured of slush concrete in multiple steel molds. 

The staves are generally made in a width of about 
10 inches and are cast flat. The usual thickness is 
about 21/2 inches. All types have some method of giv- 
ing the staves a vertical joint, and some of them also 
provide a horizontal joint where the ends of the staves 
come together. The joints are filled with mortar. To 
still further safeguard the structure against air and 
moisture, the inside may be plastered or given a wash 
coat of cement. 

In constructing the silo the staves are assembled 
with staggered joints, the first row of staves consist- 
ing of alternate full length and half length staves. 

(125) 



126 



Concrete Silos 



These silos are 
held together by out- 
side hoops, as is the 
ease with wood 
staves, the hoops be- 
ing placed eloser to- 
gether at the bottom 
to provide for the 
greater strain, the 
spacing being gradu- 
ally increased as the 
top is approached. 

Some of the com- 
mercial stave silo 
systems now on the 
market are described 
in the following 
pages. 

Many of these 
silos have been built 
on the foundations 
of old wood stave 
silos and are giving 
excellent satisfac- 
tion, a point which 
is worth while re- 
membering in pro- 
moting the sale of 
these silos. The 
foundation for the 
stave silo is made 
the same as for other 
types. 




Perfection Stave Silo on State Fair 
Grounds at Des Moines, la. Diameter 
14 feet 4 inches ; height 44 feet 4 
inches ; capacity 194 tons. 



Concrete Silos 



127 



Perfection Concrete Stave Silo. This system is 
controlled by the Perfection Concrete Stave Silo Com- 
pany, Des Moines, Iowa, and the outfit with which 
the staves are made is sold outright to manufacturers. 
These staves can be used for structures from 10 to 
36 feet in diameter and up to 60 feet high. 

The staves are 28 inches long, 10 inches wide, 2% 
inches in thickness, and are made in steel forms with 
a wet mix, waterproofed and made impervious by the 
addition of 10 per cent of the weight of cement in 
hydrated lime. The staves are made concave on the 
edges and on the ends, and when they are assembled 
in the silo the space which is thus formed is filled with 
mortar. 

The company also manufactures for use on its silos 
a malleable iron door frame and an all-steel door with 
steel ladder combina- 
tion. The door sys- i' 
tem is continuous | 
from the foundation _^_ 
to roof, the frame f 
occupying a space of j* 
only 4 inches between 
doors. Each door 
opening is 23x25 in. 

In constructing the ^^^ perfection Silo steel Door in 
oiln nnp r»f fliA mallp- place; and showing- steel ladder sys- 

able iron door frames 

is placed upon a circular concrete foundation, and half 
staves (that is, 14 inches in length by 10 inches in 
width by 2% inches in thickness), are placed on the 
foundation, in the channel on either side of the 
malleable iron door frame; then a full length stave is 




128 Concrete Silos 

stood up by the side of each half stave, and the circle 
is completed by alternate half and whole staves. 
Thereafter, whole staves are used until the top of the 
silo is reached, when half staves are used to fill out 
the top, alternately between the full staves. 

On completion of the first circle, two bands are 
placed around the circle, one 2 inches above the foun- 
dation and another half band is placed 14 inches above 
the foundation, and the end of the half band is placed 
in the lugs on either side of the door and turned up 
even with the end of the rod. 

As each course is erected and put into place, the 
concavity between staves is filled with mortar, con- 
sisting of 1 part cement, to 3 parts of screened sand, 
and the ends of the staves as they meet are also filled 
with mortar, so that when the silo is completed every 
joint is filled, thus preventing any escape of the silage 
juices or admission of air into the silo. 

Suitable collapsible staging is erected on the in- 
side of the silo as the walls are being extended upward. 

As soon as the silo walls are completed, a water- 
proofing composition is placed upon the inside wall 
by brush applications. 

In this system the contractor is supplied with steel 
molds sufficient to cast 200 staves or more a day. The 
supposition is that the contractor will haul his molds 
to the farm, or the place where the silo is to be "built, 
and that the owner will provide the materials ready 
for working. The contractor will then send two ex- 
perienced men to cast the staves. The manufacturers 
state that it will require 900 staves to build a silo 16 
feet in diameter by 35 feet high, holding 150 tons of 



Concrete Silos 



129 



silage. The two men it is stated will cast these in 4% 
days. They are then left 4 or 5 days to cure before 
being erected. 

Playford Cement Stave Silo. This system is eon- 
trolled by the Cement Stave Silo Company, Des Moines, 
Iowa. These staves are made 30 inches long, 10 inches 
wide and 2^2 inches thick. One edge is concave and 
the other convex, so that the staves fit closely to- 
gether, no matter what the radius of the silo and the 
consequent curvature of the walls. In building a Play- 




Playford Silo With Door Spreaders and Chute. 



ford Silo the first row consists of alternate full and 
half length staves; thus the joints are broken the 
entire way up, and the last row finished with alter- 
nate full and half lengths. These silos when erected 
are held together with hoops of round steel joined 
with patent lugs. These hoops are put on as the silo 



130 



Concrete Silos 



goes up, so that the structure is held perfectly rigid 
at every stage of construction. Alternate hoops en- 
tirely encircle the silo, when the intermediate hoops 
fasten to door spreaders, these passing around the 




The riayford Cement Stave 

door openings and leaving them unobstructed. A 
combination sectional ladder and chute is also pro- 
vided. After erection the silo is treated with a special 
waterproof filler coating on the inside. 

Reinforced Stave Silo. This stave, which is con- 
trolled by the Playford Manufacturing Company of 




OPEltS 

roR poimti 



LOCK^ DOOR FRAr^£J REjr«(FORCItS&- 

Reinforced Stave Silo 



Elgin, Illinois, carries an outside vertical rib on one 
edge through which passes a i/4-inch twisted reinforc- 
ing bar. The thickness through the stave proper is 






Playford Cement Stave Silo. 
(131) 



132 



Concrete Silos 



21/4 inches while the thickness through the rib is 4I/2 
inches. The stave is 12 inches wide and 30 inches 
long. 

Each stave carries a lug on top with a correspond- 
ing recess in the bottom, forming a lock for the lateral 
joints. A concave and convex joint on the sides of 




Method of Assembling Reinforced Silo Staves 

the slabs is so designed that space is allowed for 
pointing up on the outside after the silo is erected. 
The silo is also given a cement wash on the inside, giv- 
ing it a double seal. 

The ribs on the outside of the staves carry prop- 
erly spaced depressions for receiving the hoops, so 




Reinforced Stave Silo 
(133) 



134 Concrete Silos 

that the latter cannot slip out of place. The hoops, 
being held out from the face of the silo by the ribs, 
form a convenient ladder for climbing up the silo at 
any point. 

A continuous door system is provided for, special 
staves being made for the door opening which carry 
an offset against which the door can rest and also 
having recesses into which a casting can be slipped 
as a dividing plate between doors. This casting is 
held firmly in place automatically when both the up- 
per and low^er staves are in position. The doors are 
of wood, held in place by latches which are turned 
over the flange of the castings above and below. 

A galvanized iron roof is usually put on, with a 
chute either of that material or built up of the staves 
themselves. 

The staves are poured of a slush mixture in in- 
dividual molds of sheet steel and are allowed to re- 
main in the molds for 24 hours. 

Interlocking Cement Stave Silo. This system, con- 
trolled by the Interlocking Cement Stave Silo Com- 
pany, Des Moines, low^a, has as its most noticeable 
feature a bevel on the ends of each stave. This irregu- 
lar form of joint makes it possible for a single band 
passing around the joint to hold the ends of all staves 
— ^both those above and those below. Concave and 
convex edges also provide an additional interlock. 

The staves are 28 inches long, 10 inches wide and 
2% inches thick. The company makes two types of 
equipment for the manufacturing of these staves, one of 
them adapted to the manufacture of small and inter- 
mittent lots of staves, and the other a larger outfit for 
making larger quantities. Both make identically the 
same design of product. ij 



Concrete Silos 



135 



The first mentioned is a hand mold, open at top 
and bottom and designed to rest on a pallet and be 
withdrawn after the concrete is 
tamped in and struck off; the 
other is a machine somewhat 
similar to a concrete block or 
brick machine, in which the 
operations are done more rap- 
idly by mechanical means. 
Both outfits are provided with 
means for making fractional 
staves as needed. 

A mold for casting a sec- 
tional concrete door frame is 
also a part of each outfit. This 
door frame is the same height 
as a stave, 28 inches, and 40 
inches wide, taking the place 
of four staves ; it also is pro- 
vided with one concave and 
one convex edge to fit into 
adjoining staves. It thus can 
be used continuously or inter- 
mittently as desired. The door 
frame has an opening of 28x20 inches, with an offset 
to accommodate a wood door. 

Swan Stave System. This design of stave was orig- 
inated by the Swan C/oncrete Stave Silo Company, 
Cassopolis, Michigan. It is a dry tamp stave made in 
a simple form on wood pallets, the pallets being curved 
to the radius of the silo. The staves are dovetailed 
on the ends and each stave also luis a tongue on one 
side and top and a groove on the other side and the 




Interlocking- Cement 
Staves. 



136 



Concrete Silos 



bottom. The staves 
are 30 inches long, 
10% inches wide, 
and 21/2 inches thick. 
Supreme Silo. The 
patent on this silo is 
held 'by J. A. Brod- 
erick, of Marshall- 
town, Iowa. It is 
built with either a 

single or double ^wan stave Silo 

wall, the former being recommended for warmer cli- 
mates and the latter for colder. The distinctive fea- 




A riant Manufacturing- Swan Staves 

ture of this system is a concrete band or rib which is 
cast around the silo after the sla'l)s are laid up, one of 
these being placed at each joint and serving to cover 
the reinforcing as well as cover the joint between the 



Concrete Silos 137 

ends of the slabs. In order to accomplish this result 
the sla'bs are laid up with even lateral joints and stag- 
gered vertical joints, just the opposite of the general 
custom in stave construction. The concrete ribs, being 
carried completely around the structure, also form sills 
and lintels for the door frames where they cross the 
door openings. 

Everlasting Silo Staves. W. W. Rohrer & Son of 
Orrville, Ohio, have a system of silo stave manufacture 
to make staves 24 inches long, 10 inches wide and 3 
inches thick. One vertical edge of each stave is con- 
cave and the other convex, making a perfect joint. 
Half length staves are used in starting the silo, so that 
joints are broken all the way up. The staves are held 
together with %-inch iron rods with patent knuckles. 
As each row of staves is placed in position the hoop is 
placed around and drawn up tight, each band passing 
around the middle of half the staves and the ends of 
the intermediate ones. 

It is claimed that a special mixture is used in mak- 
ing these staves, rendering them impervious to mois- 
ture and also acid proof. 

Panel Silos. These can perhaps best be included 
under the general heading of stave silos, although in 
this case the units run horizontally instead of ver- 
tically. This system is controlled by the Concrete 
Panel Silo Company of Kansas City, Missouri. It con- 
sists of poured concrete columns alternating with pre- 
cast concrete slabs. The slabs are 10 inches high, 24 
inches long, and 3 inches tliick. 

In erecting the silo, the slabs are first laid up to a 
convenient height, with reinforcing rods in the hori- 



138 



Concrete Silos 



zontal mortar joints between courses. The ends of the 
slabs have an outside bevel, leaving a considerable out- 
side opening between the ends. Against this opening 
a steel form is erected and poured full of concrete, 
thus closing up the joint, and making a column to 
add to the stability of the structure. This column is 
reinforced with a %-inch vertical rod. Intermittent 





Diamond Stave Silo 



door openings are made by omitting three panels at 
suitable intervals in one tier. 

Diamond Concrete Stave Silo. This system is sold 
by the Diamond Concrete Stave Silo Company, Kan- 
sas City, Mo. These staves are diamond shaped, inter- 
locking with tongue and groove, and held together 
by either round rods or bands. They are 30 inches 



Concrete Silos 139 

long, 11% inches wide at the middle and 6 inches at 
the ends. A notable feature of the staves is that they 
are thicker in the center than at the edges, the center 
thickness being 3 inches and at the edges 2% inches. 
This provision is made to give the finished silo an 
outside curvature, allowing the bands to fit more 
snugly instead of resting only on the edges of the 
staves. 



CHAPTER XVI 
CoNCKETE Block Silos 

The concrete block silo, if well made, has at least 
two advantages to recommend it: It is usually made 
of hollow blocks, thus providing an air space in the 
wall which will help to insulate the contents against 
frost and moisture; and if some care is taken in the 
design and construction, it can be given a more decora- 
tive appearance than is customary with the general 
run of farm structures. 

On the other hand there are certain precautions 
which must be taken in putting up this kind of a silo. 
Most of the silo block systems provide for a dry or 
semi-dry tamp block. With such a block it is of the 
utmost importance that the materials be properly se- 
lected, graded and mixed, and the manufacturing and 
curing be done in the most approved manner, else the 
block will not have sufficient density to make it mois- 
ture proof. It is worth while, therefore, to urge upon 
block manufacturers the extreme importance of put- 
ting the best quality of materials and workmanship 
into silo blocks; and also to urge upon owners that 
they give careful attention to the blocks they are get- 
ting, contracting for them only with manufacturers 
who have the best reputation. 

For the manufacture of silo blocks a clean, well 
graded sand should be used, and the mixture should 
be 1 part cement to 3 parts sand. The mix should 
be made as Avet as the molds will allow, and should 
preferably be cured by steam, taking care that the 

(140) 



Concrete Silos 



141 



blocks are not allowed to dry out before having the 
steam turned on them. Additional waterproofness can 
be secured, if necessary, by the addition of some good 
waterproofing substance to the concrete when it is 
made, or by the application of an inside or outside 




Two Decorative Silos of Ideal Blocks on the Barber Estate, 
Barberton, Ohio 

coating, or both. A coat of cement plaster on the 
inside will be conducive to this end, and will also have 
the advantage of giving the silo a smooth wall. 

In starting the construction of a concrete block 
silo, the excavation, floor and footings will be the same 



142 Concrete Silos 

as for a monolithic silo. In starting the walls, however, 
some readjustment of the radius may be necessary in 
order to accommodate the construction to the size of 
units available. The length of silo blocks is not usu- 
ally changed for the various diameters, so that in order 
to make it possible to use only whole and half blocks, 
or such fractions as the machine will make, and thus 
avoid cutting, it will be well to lay out a test circle 
after the footings are in and see how closely the blocks 
conform to the desired size. The circle can then be 
made slightly larger or smaller to accommodate them. 

The cement mortar should consist of 1 sack of 
Portland cement to 2 cubic feet of clean sand, with 
the possible addition of a small quantity of hydrated 
lime (not over ten per cent), to make it easier to work. 
Before laying up the blocks, see that they are thor- 
oughly soaked which will prevent them from draw- 
ing moisture from the mortar. No more mortar should 
be mixed at one time than can be used up within 80 
minutes after first moistening. 

Most blocks now made for silo work have some 
provision for continuous reinforcement; but if such 
provision is not made, reinforcing wire must be used 
between the courses of blocks. A table herewith gives 
the amounts of reinforcing necessary for block silos. 

The doors in a block silo are installed similarly to 
those in silos of other types. For intermittent doors, 
frames 6 inches wide of 2-inch lumber are placed at 
proper intervals in the 8-inch wall. This leaves a 2- 
inch recess on the inner surface of the wall in which 
will set the wooden door. Vertical steel rods are set 
in mortar in airtight spaces of the block next each side 
of the doors, and the horizontal reinforcing hooked 
around them. Sufficient extra rods are placed across 



Concrete Silos 



143 




Block Silo at Atlanta, in. 

the top and bottom of the door to equal the horizontal 
rods which are cut out by the door opening. 

For a continuous door, a vertical concrete frame is 
sometimes cast on each side of the door opening. In 



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Concrete Silos 145 

this frame are embedded the vertical rods, to which 
all the horizontal rods are hooked, in a manner simi- 
lar to that described for monolithic silos. At other 
times angle irons or U-bars are used for frames, or 
special iron shapes, with offsets for doors are used. 

A wooden or metal chute can be fastened to the 
walls or one can be built of blocks at the same time as 
the walls. 

The roof of a block silo can be made either of wood 
or of concrete. When of concrete, the method of pro- 
cedure is the same as that specified for solid wall silos, 
except that the temporary roof rafters rest on the 
wall, and the eaves are formed by a special block 
which gives the necessary overhang. 

Below are given brief descriptions of a number of 
the systems of silo block construction now available. 

Hurst System. This system is marketed hy the 
Hurst Silo Equipment Company of Chicago. The 
unit of construction is a solid block 23% inches long, 
11% inches high, and 4 inches thick. Each block is 
reinforced with two %-inch round rods, the ends of 
these rods projecting into recesses at the end of each 
block and being bent into a hook to receive a steel 
link. When the blocks are laid up in the wall, the 
ends of rods in adjoining blocks are thus brought to- 
gether, and after the link is slipped over them the ends 
are bent back by means of a tool supplied for the pur- 
pose. This makes the reinforcing continuous around 
the structure, and the process of bending up the rods 
serves to bring the steel into tension and thus resist 
the pressure of the silage when the silo is filled. The 
recesses which hold the links are afterwards filled with 
mortar, as well as the V-shaped joint between the 
blocks on their inside surface. 



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(146) 



Concrete Silos 



147 



These blocks are cast in steel molds, each niohl 
making ten blocks at one operation. A reference to 
the illustration here shown will give a very good idea 
of the assembling of the mold. Each mold consists of 
two sides, two sets of division plates, clamps for lock- 
ing molds, and core covers. The sides of the mold are 
of pressed steel, fitted w^ith hollow pressed steel cores. 




Method of Laying- up Hurst Blocks 

which form the recesses at the ends of the blocks and 
which also hold the reinforcing rods in place while the 
blocks are poured. The division plates are of i/g-inch 
rolled steel, 24 inches long and the height of the block. 
These division plates are curved to conform to the 
diameter of the silo and can be furnished for any 
size. Short division plates are also supplied for mak- 
ing sectional blocks for '^ fillers." Two sets of stand 
ard division plates are furnished with each mold, S{ 
that it can be filled twice daily, making twenty blockf 



148 



Concrete Silos 



A special bender for making the rods and links is 
included in the outfit if desired, or these will be fur- 
nished by the company to those who do not care to 
prepare their own. A bender can also be secured for 
changing dividing plates from one radius to another. 

Iron or steel door frames are either secured from 
the company, or a pattern only is bought, allowing the 
contractor to have his frames made at the nearest 
foundry. All frames are curved to a radius of 8 feet, 
in order to avoid multiplication of parts, as the dif- 

4 sms/?mmL£ soon Arm r/Ltm 

B. CMT/ CORES & RE/NmCEM£NT 

SUPP0R7. B 

C RE//fEORCm ROD 

W POSITION 




D SLOT COi^ER 
E CURVED STEEL ftiRTIT/ON. 
F ADJUSTABLE CLAM/V 



Hurst Silo Block Mold 



ference of curvature is scarcely noticeable in the width 
of a door when this frame is used on other sizes. The 
frame provides a beveled rabbet for a wood door, and 
carries loops to connect with the reinforcing rods of 
the adjoining blocks. 

Steps are bolted to the doors, or ladder steps of 
steel with ends flattened are embedded in the mortar 
between the courses of blocks. 

If a chute is desired, %x5-inch bolts are inserted 
in every third mortar joint on either side of the door 
frames, beginning 8 feet from the ground. Similar 



Concrete Silos 



149 




bolts also extend upward every 4 feet in the joints of 
the top course of blocks, to anchor the roof, which 
may be of any type. 

Dove-tail Silo Block. The Lansing Company, Lan- 
sing, Mich., manufacture what is called the Dove-tail 
silo block ma- *^ 

chine. This ma- 
chine makes a 
hollow silo block 
with clove-tail 
openings at each 
end. "Where these 
openings come 

together, they fit Dove-tall Silo Block. 

over a small countersunk hole in the middle of the 
block below. The dove-tail opening is filled with soft 
mortar which finds its way into the countersunk hole 
and binds the blocks together both horizontally and 
vertically. A small groove is also provided in the top 
of each block for the purpose of laying in reinforcing 
wire. 

The machine consists of a base and a flask or mould. 
The mould consists of a front and back plate, two 
end plates, center cores, dove-tail end cores, extra 
face plate for half size blocks, and dividing plate. The 
two end plates fit into lugs in the front plate and the 
back plate is held in position by two end levers. The 
mould is of the self-truing type and will produce 
blocks of an attractive design. It is furnished in 12, 
14, 16 and 18-foot diameters. Each size of block can 
also be used for a silo of a diameter 2 feet larger 
than the stated size. It is equipped for either 9 or 
10-inch blocks, 16 inches long, 8 inches high. The 



150 



Concrete Silos 



regular equipment consists of rock face design, but 
the manufacturers also furnish a plain design. 

Ideal System. The Ideal Concrete Machinery Com- 
pany, Cincinnati, Ohio, supplies molds for silo blocks 



^ 



. B??^ 




Method of Constructing- Ideal Silos 



Concrete Silos 



151 



in the standard 8x8x16 inch size in practically all the 
faces designed by this company for straight building 
blocks. These silo attachments can be set on the 
standard Ideal block machine base outfit, and the silo 
blocks are cast with two 4x6 inch core openings the 
same as the building blocks. Attachments are pro- 
vided for making blocks on a 5, 7 or 9-foot radius. 

As each block is cast, a piece of half round iron 
makes a groove in the top, about 1 inch from the out- 
side face, this groove accommodating the reinforcing 
ring when the blocks are laid up. These rings are 
fastened at the ends to the 
door frames as shown in the 
illustration ; or if the builder 
has at hand the proper dies 
for cutting threads, he can 
thread the ends of each ring 
and draw the ring to the 
proper tension with a nut. 

The door frames consist of 
U-bars for uprights con- 
nected at 3-foot intervals by 
4-inch I-beams. The uprights 
are set just the thickness of 
the door from the inner face 
of the block, so that when 
the door is in place the inte- 
rior will present a smooth 
surface. 

It is recommended that the ciimax Blocks 

inside of the silo be plastered with cement mortar, ap- 
plied preferably with a trowel, and then going over the 
entire surface with a stiff brush and cement grout. 




152 Concrete Silos 

Climax Silo Blocks. The equipment for making 
these blocks is furnished by the Climax Manufactur- 
ing Company, Anderson, Indiana. The blocks are 20 
inches long, 10 inches high, and 4 inches thick. Each 
block carries lugs on the underside and recessed groove 
on the upper side, holding the blocks in perfect posi- 
tion when they are placed together. The blocks them- 
selves are reinforced with any wire available, and a 
No. 9 wire is also used in the grooves as the blocks are 
laid up. 

Kenny System. The 
Kenny concrete blocks 
are made with a groove 
in the top for receiv- 
ing the reinforcing 
rod, which is contin- 
ued in one piece 
around the entire silo, 
locking it over a key 
block, as shoAvn in the 
accompanying cut. 

The vertical grooves 

in the ends of the V^'i^es Locked over Key Block 

blocks form an opening 2 inches in diameter between 
the blocks when laid in the wall ; this opening is filled 
with cement mortar. 

The blocks are made on a double machine, turning 
out two blocks at one operation, and are 24 inches long, 
8 inches high, and 4 inches thick. 

Anchor Silo Blocks. This block makes a double 
wall, with a continuous air space. It is controlled by 
the Anchor Concrete Stone Company, Rock Rapids, 
Iowa. Each block is made in two separate sections. 




Concrete Silos 



153 



bound together with four 14-inch galvanized iron 
rods, 8 inches long and turned 1 inch at each 
end. The Standard 
Anchor machine 
makes a block 8x8x 
24 inches, while the 
Junior Anchor ma- 
chine makes a block 
8x8x16 inches. Each 
machine makes 
blocks to fit any de- 
sired radius of silo. 
This is accomplished 
by having the mold 
box equipped witli 
inside steel plates 
which can be ad- 
justed by set screws 
to the desired curve. 
The interior section 
of the block is cast 
with a groove in the 
top in which rein- 
forcing can be 

placed Anchor Blocks Laid Up in WaU 

Keystone Cement Slab Silo. This system is con- 
trolled by the Minnesota Keystone Silo Company, Min- 
neapolis, Minn. The blocks or slabs used in a Key- 
stone silo have a special design, the ends being wider 
by 3 inches than the center of the slab. This, in addi- 
tion to the tongue-and-groove edges, makes of each 
block a key which securely locks the adjoining slabs. 
The slabs or blocks are 24 inches long, 3 inches thick. 




154 



Concrete Silos 



16 inches wide at the center and 13 inches at the mid- 
dle. Each block is reinforced with two %-inch steel 
rods, each end of each rod projecting into a small 
cavity. When the blocks are laid up these ends are 
connected and brought to tension by a special tool. 
The cavity is then filled with concrete. 

Millers' Sectional Interlocking Block Silo. This 
system is controlled by the Goshen Concrete Tile 
Manufacturing Company, Goshen, Indiana. The blocks 
in this system are solid 
blocks made of slush 
concrete interlocking 
at all edges. A double 
rod of 5-16-inch iron 
through each block y^^ 
makes the reinforcing 
and forms an eye at 
the end of each block. 
The blocks are fas- 
tened together by 
means of a staple 
passing through these 
eyes, the open spaces around the eyes and staples 
then being filled with mortar. The door frame used 
in connection with these blocks is constructed of chan- 
nel iron. On the side of the door jamb toward the block, 
there are eyes every 12 inches to correspond with the 
eyes on the block, so the door frame and blocks are 
locked together by means of staples and spaces 
filled with mortar, making joints same as between the 
blocks themselves. 

Perfect Cement Blocks. This is made on the per- 
fect cement block machine, manufactured by J. J. 
Coyne, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. This machine makes 




Miller's 

Interlocking 

Block 



Concrete Silos 155 

a hollow block of two types, the two parts in the 
block being connected either by a web of concrete 
or by steel spacers. The blocks are made 8 inches 
high, 9 inches thick and 24 inches long, with 2V2-inch 
air space. The blocks interlock in both directions and 
have a groove on top for reinforcement. 





J. J. Coyne's Perfect 
Blocks 

Perfect Reinforced Block. This system is the prod- 
uct of the Perfect Reinforced Cement Silo and Cis- 
tern Company, Delaware, Ohio. The Perfect Silo is 
built with blocks 2 feet long, 1 foot high and 4 inches 
thick. 

Each block is reinforced with two iron rods run- 
ning lengthwise of the block, 6 inches apart. Each 
rod is looped or turned 6 inches from the end. These 
loops in the rods coincide with the holes that are 
formed edgewise through the block, 1 inch in diame- 
ter and 6 inches from either end. In laying the blocks 
these 1-inch openings are filled with cement grout and 
the rod or dowel pin is pressed through the soft 
cement, connecting the two blocks. Each pin is in- 
serted in such a way that it passes entirely through 
one block and half way through the block above and 
the one below. By this arrangement of loops and 
dowel pins, inserted in the holes through the blocks, 
and the use of half blocks, joints are broken in the 
same way as when an ordinary brick wall is laid. This 
provides for a continuous lateral reinforcement around 
the silo every 6 inches, and the dowel pins that run 
through the blocks from the bottom to the top of the 



156 Concrete Silos 

silo form a vertical reinforcement every foot. A strip 
of netting composed of 7 longitudinal and 12 vertical 
steel wires, imbedded in the block just beneath the 
outer surface, is designed to prevent any liability of 
cracking of the face of the block. To unite the blocks 
and to overcome the outward pressure or thrust, a 
2-ply twisted steel cable of No. 8 wire is laid outside 
the dowel pins between each course of blocks, in 
grooves provided in the edge of the blocks for that 
purpose, and imbedded in the mortar in which they 
are laid. The ends of these cables are looped about 
a continuous gas pipe, which extends from the top to 
the bottom of the structure, through the blocks each 
side of the doorway, in place of dowel pins. This same 
gas pipe also passes through holes in the ends of the 
ladder rounds. 

Zagelmeyer System. This method of making silo 
blocks is the invention of the Zagelmeyer Cast Stone 
Block Company of Bay City, Mich., and is identical 
with the system used by this company for making 
building blocks, except that the silo blocks are made 
to fit the curve of the silo instead of being straight. 
The molds, which are of sheet steel, are assembled in 
multiple form on roller bearing trucks, each truck car- 
rying molds for thirty silo blocks. The truck is then 
carried under the discharge end of the mixer and filled 
with slush concrete. 

Each block carries two air spaces, and has a depres- 
sion in the top for carrying a continuous circle of rein- 
forcing around the silo. 

Molds are made in both rock face and plain. The 
blocks can if desired be given a granite or other orna- 
mental face, similar to the Zagelmeyer building blocks. 



CHAPTER XVII 

Doorways, Doors, Roofs, Etc. 

These topics have been dealt with in connection 
with some of the systems treated, so that in this chapter 
it is scarcely necessary to do more than take up some 
general features of these parts of the silo. 

Doorways. Doorways are of two types, known as 
intermittent and continuous. These doorways are both 
good, and it is a matter of individual preference as to 
the one to select, although the separate openings are 
preferred by a great many silo users. These openings 
are usually 2 feet wide and 3 feet high, and are spaced 
about 3 or 4 feet apart. This type of doorway makes a 
stronger wall, but more difficulty is experienced in 
removing the silage for feeding than with the con- 
tinuous door. 

An easily constructed intermittent door form for a 
solid concrete wall silo is suggested by the Association 
of Portland Cement Manufacturers as shown in the 
illustration. Make a frame of 2x6 inch lumber as 
shown. Then prepare a second frame of 2x2 pieces, and 
nail it around the first. This will provide an offset or 
jamb of 2 inches in the concrete, to receive the door 
from the inside. This form should be made so that it 
will fit closely between the inside and outside wall 
forms. 

The method of constructing a form for a continuous 
door opening is similar to the one for separate open- 
ings. Two pieces of lumber 2x6 inches are cut 5 feet 
long. Two holes are then bored through each piece. 

(157) 



158 



Concrete Silos 



These holes are 2 feet apart and 2 inches from the edge. 
The pieces are then ripped through the holes. A piece 
of 2x2 inch lumber, beveled, is then nailed to the 4-inch 
piece thus made. Cleats are nailed across the two pieces 
which were cut. These cleats are to hold cross-strips 
between the two uprights, for the purpose of keeping 
the door forms the right distance apart. 



2x2' 




Form for Intermittent Doorway. 

When setting the form into the molds, the ladder or 
door rods are placed in the holes of the door form. This 
method of door-jamh construction has been in use for 
eight or ten years, and has been found satisfactory. 
The method of reinforcing across both types of door 
openings is also shown herewith. 

Doors. The doors for the continuous doorway may 
be made of 2-inch planking, preferably tongue-and- 
grooved. The doors should be 34 inches in width and 
30 inches in height. Five pieces of planking 6 inches 
wide, or 4 pieces 8 inches wide may be used con- 
veniently. A %-inch hole is drilled on the vertical 



Concrete Silos 



159 



center line of each plank to accommodate the bolt and 
hook by which the door is held to the horizontal rein- 
forcing across the door opening. The bolts used have a 
screw eye on the outer side to which hangs a hook made 
of heavy steel wire. 

Non-continuous doors are perhaps easier to build 
than continuous doorw^ays, and if the owners are satis- 
fied that they provide sufficient room for getting the 




Method of Fastening Reinforcing- When Silo Is Built With 
Continuous Door Opening. 

silage out conveniently, there is no objection to their 
use, although on the other hand, they possess no great 
advantage over doors of the continuous type. The 
arguments often heard that the non-continuous door 
silo is a stronger type than the other, and vice versa, 



160 



Concrete Silos 



carry little weight, as either type may be made suffi- 
ciently strong. 

Non-continuous doors are often put in with a dis- 
tance of about 21/2 feet between them, but the spacing 
may vary to suit the individual owner. In all cases 
the arches between the doors must contain an amount 




ySp/ice /f verf/'ccf/ \ 

reinforaement 



^ 



"H 
J 



Open/ng 

Door-, 



-rF 



^= 



'-^'^ 



'(IP) 



Splice in horizo/i^o( 
re /r7/'hrcerr7e^ 



30- 



^r^ 



:^ 



^^-^ 



4=^ 



444= 



Method of Reinforcing- Around Intermittent Door Openings. 

of reinforcing equivalent to the full amount of hori- 
zontal reinforcing put around the silo. Thus, if the 
doors are 3 feet in height, with a distance of 2l^ feet 
between them, the horizontal reinforcing in the space 



Concrete Silos 161 

between the doors should be equivalent in amount to 
that placed in 5I/2 feet of the wall where there are no 
doors. 

The doors may best be made of two thicknesses of 
lx6-inch matched flooring with a layer of tar paper 
between. The lx6-inch boards are held together by 
two lx4-inch cleats across the top and bottom, and one 
2x4-inch cleat across the center. The middle cleat is 
made larger than the others in order to take care of the 
strain caused by the large bolt in the center. A 2x4, 
40 inches long, or a similar piece of material, is placed 
on the bolt, making a large ''button" by which the door 
is held to the wall. 

The Roof. Perhaps the greatest advantage of a 
roof is the lessened liability of the silage freezing. Not 
only is it impossible to prevent freezing in severe 
weather unless the silo is provided with a roof, but 
during snowy or rainy weather the silage is mixed 
with snow or wet down with rain. Furthermore, a silo 
without a roof becomes a catching place for husks, dust 
or anything carried in the wind and a favorite feeding 
ground for the neighborhood pigeons and birds. 
Although many silos are not provided with roofs and 
the live stock eagerly eat the silage from them, it is 
evident that a roof would not only reduce the amount 
of frozen silage, actually save silage and preserve its 
quality, but be worth its cost in making a more pleasant 
place to feed from in bad weather. The roof is also 
valuable in protecting and strengthening the silo and in 
adding to its appearance. 

A door for filling, large enough to admit the carrier 
or elevator from the ensilage cutter, should be placed in 
the roof. A simple trap door may be used for this pur- 



162 Concrete Silos 

pose, but a dormer window with glass is preferable. 
Some light should be admitted to the silo for if not it 
will be necessary to use a lantern when removing the 
silage. 

The pitch of the silo roof may vary from one- 
quarter to one-half. The steeper roof permits the silo 
to be filled above the top of the wall so as to be nearly 
full after settling. A flat roof does not permit the 
silage to be elevated to a point high enough to do this, 
does not give the workman room for work during 
filling, and does not shed the snow like a steeper roof. 

While roofs of various types are used with concrete 
silos, it is most desirable that the roof be of concrete, 
thus making this part of the silo as durable as any 
other. 

In some systems, special roof forms are provided ; 
but where there are not obtainable a concrete roof can 
be laid 4 inches thick over a temporary wooden form, 
which will be left in place two or three weeks. The 
concrete should be reinforced with steel rods %-inch in 
diameter. Some of the rods are laid like the spokes of 
a wheel, 1-inch from the under side of the roof. At the 
eaves the rods are 18 inches apart; but every other rod 
runs only half-w^ay to the peak, where it is tied to a 
horizontal ring extending entirely around the roof. 
There are four of these horizontal rings equally spaced 
from the eaves to the center of the roof. Where the 
straight or radial rods meet at the peak they should be 
hooked and securely tied together. In the eaves an 
additional ring is placed, around which are hooked the 
outer ends of the straight rods. 

Eaves on a concrete roof are not absolutely neces- 
sary, but add much to the appearance of the silo. 



Concrete Silos 



163 



Jt is of pure 



Iron Roof. An iron roof for silos is made by the 
( '. C. Fonts Company, Middletown, Ohio. Tliis roof is 
made in sections readily bolted together 
iron, 20 to 24 gange, and is 
equipped with a large trap 
door for filling. This door fits 
over a raised rim in the roof, 
making it weatherproof. These 
roofs are made with a ventila- 
tor and a heavy wired glass at 
the top, admitting sufficient 
light to light up the interior 
of the silo. One advantage 
of this kind of a roof is that 
sections of it can be left off 
while the silo is being filled. 
This will allow of the silo 
being filled to its full capac- 
ity, while the settling of the 
silage will be sufficient to give 
working room when it is de- 
sired to begin feeding from 
the silo. 

Winner Extension Silo 
Rcof. The special feature of 
this roof, which is made by 
the Silo Specialty Manu- 
facturing Company at Clinton, 
Iowa, is that it allows the user to utilize the entire 
space of the silo. That is, the roof opens outward from 
the peak, so that the silo can be filled above the height 
of the walls. As the silage settles the roof is closed, 
giving the contents of the silo complete protection 
against the elements. 




Winner Silo Hoof 



164 Concrete Silos 

The method of operation of this roof is well shown 
in the illustration. It has a metal roof consisting of 
separate segments which are hinged at the bottom and 
can be opened until they stand vertical. When they are 
opened for filling the silo the spaces between the seg- 
ments are protected by wire mesh. 

Buckeye Silo Roof. This is a sheet metal roof, made 
in gambrel design with dormer window. It is made by 
the Thomas & Armstrong Company, London, Ohio. The 
same company also makes all-steel silo doors, and other 
silo equipment. 

Air-Tight All. Steel Door Frame. This is a continu- 
ous door manufactured by the Silo Specialty Manufac- 
turing Company at Clinton, Iowa. This is an inflexible, 
unbreakable, steel door frame, requiring no packing to 
make a tight door. 



CHAPTER XVIII 

How TO Inckease the Silo Business. 

A firm of contractors and supply dealers in Sioux 
City, Iowa, have adopted a novel method of promot- 
ing the silo end of the business by erecting a sample 
silo on their grounds and utilizing the lower part of 
it for office purposes. This company is fortunately 
situated at the stock yards, within 75 feet of the Live 
Stock National Bank, so that the silo is just where it 
will catch the attention of the men it is desired to 
reach. It carries a conspicuous sign, calling attention 
to the fact that the structure is for inspection and 
that the office is inside. Leaflets are also sent out 
among the farmers in the territory telling them of this 
exhibition silo and showing illustrations of it and 
also of silos which the company has constructed on 
farms in the vicinity. 

The sample silo has at least two advantages as an 
advertising asset. There is no doubt but many farm- 
ers will be attracted by it and will step in ''just to 
look around" out of curiosity. If the sales work is 
what it should be, a fair proportion of these will ulti- 
mately buy. The prospective customer is thus brought 
right to the office instead of making it necessary to 
go out after him, and any salesman knows what this 
means, both in the saving of time and the advantage 
of having the man on your own ground and with a 
confessed interest in what you have to sell. 

There will be still other men who know that they 
want a silo and would come to the office whether there 

(165) 



166 



Concrete Silos 



were a sample on exhibition 
or not. The advantage of- 
fered by the sample silo in 
dealing with these men is 
that the deal can be closed 
up much more promptly, 
avoiding the necessity of 
spending time and expense 
money to take the prospect 
out to see some of the silos 
on surrounding farms. 

By getting a man right in 
the office the system of con- 
struction can also be demon- 
strated, arousing the interest 
of the farmer in the simplic- 
ity of the equipment, the de- 
vice by which the walls are 
kept true to line, etc. A 
small section of the well can 
also be cut away, if desired, 
exposing the reinforcement 
and revealing the stability 
of construction and the hard 
and enduring: nature of the 
material. 





Silo Inspection Trip Conducted by a Cement Company. 



Concrete Silos 167 

While a sample silo of this kind costs a little money, 
where a favorable location can be secured it would 
seem to be a very valuable advertising asset ; and espe- 
cially would this be true in thinly populaj:ed districts, 
where a contractor, located in a central market town, 
can bring to his office men whom he would otherwise 
have to go many miles to reach. 

Sample silos of a permanent nature are located on 
the grounds of many of the state fairs, while tempo- 
rary sample sections are frequently put on display at 
various expositions. These are usually put up by the 
promoters of the various systems of construction, and 
they serve the double purpose of stimulating a demand 
for silos and of reaching contractors and interesting 
them in this class of construction. 

Some of the more progressive manufacturers have 
well devised campaigns which are put into effect for 
the benefit of contractors who buy their outfits. In 
addition to furnishing him with suitable printed mat- 
ter, albums of photographs, etc., each contractor is 
requested to send in to the company the names of farm- 
ers in his locality who should own silos — not a miscel- 
laneous list of names, but a list which is carefully se- 
lected and not too large to have devoted to it some 
personal work on the part of the contractor himself. 
To these people the manufacturer sends out a letter 
setting forth the advantages of concrete silos in a brief 
way and calling attention to the fact that the local 
contractor is now prepared to build such a silo for 
them. These letters are followed up at suitable inter- 
vals by letters sent out by the contractor, but the copy 
for which is supplied by the manufacturer ; and in the 
mean time it is expected that the contractor is doing 
more or less personal work with these people, at least 



168 



Concrete Silos 



to the extent of taking advantage of casual meetings 
when they are in town if he does not get out to see 
them at their own homes. 



Photographs are won- 
derfully helpful. In addi- 
tion to the albums sent out 
with an outfit, some man- 
ufacturers stimulate busi- 
ness for their customers by 
sending out additional 
photographs from time to 
time. These may be of 
new silos just completed, 
especially if there is any 
unusual feature about the 
silo or if it is for some 
person of prominence ; or 
they may show how 



smxc/rrsmmsraomsm 



.J MO ORE 




X 




Sample Silo and Office at Sioux City, Iowa. 



Concrete Silos 



169 



Crete silo has successfully withstood a recent fire, tor- 
nado or earthquake. 

The contractor can also assist in this part of the 
work by having photographs made of the silos which 
he erects and using 
them in his own local 
work as well as sup- 
plying them to the 
manufacturer for the 
betterment of the in- 
dustry as a whole. 

Some silo builders 
have secured permis- 
sion from their cus- 
tomers to place at the 
entrance to the farm 
a neat sign bearing 
an inscrijDtion some- 
thing like this: 



The Concrete Silo 

On This Farm Was 

Built by the 

Company. Drive in 
and Examine It. 




In most localities 
the principal opposi- 
tion to be combated 
is from the wood silo. 
For the representa- 
tive of this type is Silo on Ulinois State Fair Grounds. 

more frequent and more persistent than any other, and 
he is in fact the only silo salesman whom many a 



170 Concrete Silos 

farmer sees. This is because the wood silo is a factory 
product, capable of being shipped out ** ready made" 
under the supposition that the farmer can put it up 
himself, thus lending itself readily to the building up 
of a large sales organization. These agents who are 
sent out over the country know that their main business 
is to get orders, and an important part of their equip- 
ment for so doing is a handful of misinformation about 
concrete as a silo building material. 

But with no knowledge to the contrary, a farmer 
is perhaps not to be blamed if he believes the man 
who assures him positively that the acids in silage will 
eat out a concrete silo in two or three years. It is 
necessary that this propaganda be combated, and the 
authoritative statements Avhich have been given out by 
so many of the agricultural schools of the country 
should be given wide publicity, as they will go a long 
way toward forming in the mind of the user of silos a 
saner and more correct view of the situation. State- 
ments of this nature can well be included in some of the 
printed matter sent out by contractors to develop the 
silo business; and editors of newspapers should be pre- 
vailed upon to print matter pertaining to silos from 
time to time. . 

It is generally conceded that advertising in local 
newspapers on the part of contractors will form a valu- 
able adjunct to other forms of development work. If 
this advertising can be given a local turn at times, such 
as printing illustrations of silos which have been built 
in the neighborhood, or letters of recommendation from 
local men who are pleased with their silos, this adver- 
tising will have a double value. 

A farmer can often be interested in concrete silos 
by having pointed out to him the fact that most of 



Concrete Silos 



171 



the materials can very likely be found right on his 
own farm and that he will be the gainer to that ex- 
tent. One Iowa contractor has taken a somewhat novel 
way to emphasize this point. He says in his adver- 
tising : 

If you have sand and gravel on your own 
farm or nearly, tve will buy it from you. 

This representation to the farmer that he is going 
to get some of his money back immediately will prob- 




tanh' I 




Exhibition Silo at Texas State Fair. 



172 Concrete Silos 

ably be more convincing than would a mere statement 
of the saving effected by the use of materials from his 
farm. 

A considerable amount of promotion work on all 
kinds of silos can be carried on during the winter, 
when the farmer is not so busy and is looking ahead 
to the improvement of his farm. 

The farmer as a class usually looks farther ahead 
than any other man. Of course, there are farmers 
who live from hand to mouth, as the saying is, just the 
same as can be found in any other calling; but for the 
most part you will find among well-to-do farmers more 
accurately detailed plans for the future than among 
almost any other men that one might name. The very 
nature of their occupation leads them to plan that way. 
Practically nothing that a farmer does comes to frui- 
tion until a considerable time after it is started. In 
this sense he is always working for the future. His 
grain is planted in the spring and harvested in the 
fall; the kind of stock that he will raise is made the 
subject of serious study sometimes years ahead; the 
products of his farm must be stored away at certain 
seasons for future use ; and his bank account, which is 
swelled at periods of the year when products are being 
sold, must be conserved to provide for the times when 
there will be no income. 

It is perhaps for some of these reasons that con- 
crete products manufacturers have found the farmer 
market a most satisfactory and profitable one. It 
might be mentioned also that the farmer is a good ad- 
vertiser. He delights to make every business transac- 
tion the subject of conversation. Where the city busi- 
ness maQ will buy a thing in a hurry and promptly 



Concrete Silos 173 

forget about it, the farmer will buy slowly and only 
after much discussion, and once having bought he 
will talk about his purchase for some time afterward. 
Sell him what he believes to be a good product and the 
chances are that you will soon get other orders from 
the same neighborhood; but if he believes that you 
have not treated him right, it will be very difficult to 
sell to any of his neighbors for some time to come. 

In some localities the manufacturers of concrete 
silo blocks and staves have discovered that they can 
keep business going at a fairly brisk pace throughout 
the winter by showing the farmers the advantage of 
hauling these things in the winter time. In fact, it 
seems to have been the farmers themselves who first 
discovered the advantages of such a system; but the 
products men have not been slow to take advantage 
of it in a number of instances. 

In one Wisconsin town a block manufacturer was 
asked a quotation on a certain bill of silo blocks, in the 
middle of winter. 

"They will cost you 16 cents apiece," said the 
manufacturer. 

''All right, I am satisfied," said the farmer; ''I'll 
take .the first load of them out with me today. ' ' 

The block man was alive to the advantage of quick 
sales, but he, at the same time, did not want to rush 
his product out without sufficient time to cure, so he 
said: 

"Those blocks are only eight days old. You had 
better leave them here for a couple of weeks longer 
and let them cure. If you take them now it is pretty 
sure there will be a number of them broken when you 
get them home." 



174 Concrete Silos 

' ' There is no time like the present, ' ' was the reply 
of the farmer, or words to that effeet. ''Today the 
weather is tine, the roads are smooth and well packed 
down, and I can carry just as many blocks as I can 
pile onto my sled. In two wrecks there may be a thaw, 
or snowdrifts, or a spell of stinging cold, or a run of 
sickness in the family. I would rather take them now 
and stand the breakage myself. After I get them home 
they can cure just as well in my yard as yours." 

And so the blocks were taken out immediately. 
Not many blocks were broken, but such as they were 
the loss was willingly borne by the farmer, for he had 
done the hauling in time which would otherwise have 
been almost a total loss, over good snow roads, doing 
the hauling with a sled, which is much easier to load 
and easier to haul than a wagon, and the blocks were 
on hand ready to begin work as soon as the first robin 
appeared. 

From the standpoint of the block manufacturer, 
too, the transaction was a most satisfactory one. It 
helped him to keep his plant running during the cold 
season without unduly crowding the yard; it helped 
to distribute his yard labor over a longer period, and 
as the farmer had the money in the bank from the 
sale of his fall crops, and was glad to take advantage 
of a small discount, it helped the manufacturer to keep 
up the financial end of his business. 



\ 



THE PERFECTION CONCRETE STAVE SILO 

PERFECTION CONCRETE STAVE SILO COMPANY 

516 CLAPP BUILDING. PES MOINES. IO WA. 

There is only one way to 4 :b,. 

manufacture concrete, and -^ 

that is by the "Wet-Mix" - ^"^ 

process. Our Perfection Con- 
crete Stave Silo Stave is made 
by the "Wet-Mix" process; 
the staves are cast in moulds 
with an aggregate of one 
of cement, two of sand, and 
three of gravel or crushed 
rock, and when cured, pro- 
duce a strong, non-porous 
product and present a hand- 
some appearance. 

Our "all steel" large door 
system appeals to the farmer 
and silo users. We sell our 
moulds outright; we make no 
charge for royalties; there is 
no "blue sky" or exclusive ter- 
ritory connected with our 
proposition. You pay for 
what you get. In another 
part of this book is a com- 
plete description of our silo. 

CONCRETE WORKERS 

Get into the silo business. 
It furnishes splendid profits; 
it is a growing business. The 
silos you erect this year will 
be for many, many years to 
come "silent salesmen" for 
you. When you go into the 
concrete stave silo business, 
get the best. Get a system 
that permits making the staves 
by the "wet process"; that 
permits mortar to be placed 
between the joints of every 
stave; that will give you a 
malleable door frame with an 
all steel door and steel ladder 
combination; a silo without a 
word of criticism and easy to 
erect, and with splendid profits 
to the contractor. Write us 
for information, and we will 
gladly send you our literature. 
Excellent terms of payment to 
responsible people. 





The Polk System 

OF 

Concrete Silo Construction 

(MONOLITHIC) 

PATENTED OCTOBER 23. 1906 
PATENTED DECEMBER 29, 1908 

Polk Genung Polk Co., Inc., Fort Branch, Ind. 

INVENTORS AND MANUFACTURERS 

ODDOrtunitV Eventually concrete will displace all other 
'^^ ^ material used in silo, water tank, and 

grain storage construction. Agricultural schools and 
experiment stations, bankers and insurance companies are 
backing concrete silo building. They are backing the 
POLK SYSTEM because it renders a distinct service in 
silo construction. Farmers have become prejudiced in 
favor of concrete silos because of their ultimate cheapness 
and of the lasting service they render. In the field of silo 
construction lies the greatest opportunity of the American 
contractor today. 

The contractor who is equipped with a POLK SYSTEIM 
machine and POLK SYSTEM methods can fully guarantee 
any building he erects. He has the assurance of a big, 
successful experience behind him. He knows that his 
work will please far beyond expectation. 

Facilities ^^'^^ ^^^^^' polk SYSTEIM factory with its 
modern equipment enables us easily and eco- 
nomically to manufacture machines with every single 
excellence that years of experience have proved desirable. 
Not a single expense has been spared that will help to 
lower the cost of producing POLK SYSTEM machines and 
equipment and still maintain the high POLK SYSTEM 
standard of quality. We are putting on the market today 
the most thoroughly designed and the most durable 
machine that can be made for the erection of monolithic 
concrete silos. 

Polk System Silos Are Not Built of Pieces 



THE POLK SYSTEM MACHINE 




and They Cannot Go To Pieces 



THE POLK SYSTEM MACHINE 

Description '^'^^^ polk system is in reality a com- 
pletely detailed plan for all kinds of cir- 
cular monolithic concrete construction. It specifies mix- 
tures and proportions, it keeps the contractor al)reast with 
the times, it reduces construction costs and insures a 
definite progress each day, and it makes provision for the 
safety of laborers. More than all of these, it insures to 
the farmer a flawless structure which will keep his silage 
secure against every known foe of good silage. The 
POLK SYSTEM is much more than a mere machine. 

Machine ^^^^ polk system machine is an all steel 
equipment for the erection of circular mono- 
lithic concrete structures. It has been developed with two 
things in mind — ease of operation and the production of 
absolutely flawless structures. The POLK SYSTEM 
machine automatically keeps the walls plumb, does away 
with an elaborate, complicated, risky system of scaffold- 
ing, imposes no strain upon the section of wall already 
built, and so unifies and simplifies construction that any 
intelligent workman can easily erect the most perfect, 
monolithic structure on earth. 

The unifying, simplifying, protected principle of the 
POLK SY^STEM machine is the use of a centermast. This 
centermast is erected at the center of the floor of the 
structure and is carefully plumbed by means of guy wires 
attached to the top. It is a 4-inch steel pipe provided 
with a series of transverse holes to receive a heavy steel 
pin. This pin supports a widely flanged collar which 
serves to support the jack by which the forms are lifted. 

Resting upon the jack is a hub, consisting of a flanged 
base collar and a top dished collar connected by a central 
pipe of sufficient diameter to work easily over the center- 
mast. From the base collar of this hub radiate steel Tees 
which are supported from the upper collar by adjustable 
hanger rods with chain clevises. 

The wall-forming forms are made in two widths — four 
and five feet. Each form consists of eight separable sec- 
tions, each of which is reenforced and stiffened by a steel 
angle frame around the edges. The inner and outer steel 

Polk System Machines Render the Service 



THE POLK SYSTEM MACHINE 



wall fonus are care- 
fully rolled aiul 
tested for exact cur- 
vature. They are 
rigidly bolted to the 
radiating steel Tees. 
The outer sections 
are bolted together 
at their ends thru 
holes in the frames. 
The inner sections 
are similarly fas- 
tened together, but 
they carry a steel 
wedge between them, 
the lifting of wdiich 
allows them to swing 
free. The fact that 
])oth inner and outer 
forms are securely 
bolted to the rigid 
steel Tees insures 
perfect curvature 
and alignment for 
every portion of the 
wall. 

For placing the 
concrete in between 
the forms a V-shaped 
dumping bucket is 
used. This bucket is 
supported by a crane 
pivotally attached to 
the centermast di- 
rectly above the top 
collar of the hub. It 
can be easily swung 
to any part of the 
wall space. It is 




Polk System Silos Are Indestructible 



THE POLK SYSTEM MACHINE 

hoisted by means of a rope and series of pulleys so arranged 
that the hoisting force is applied horizontally from with- 
out the structure. A small opening thru which the hoist- 
ing rope works is cut in the wall near the bottom of the 
first fill of concrete. When the bucket has been hoisted 
it is coupled to the carrier on the crane by means of a 
hinged hook. Then it is swung to any part of the wall 
space desired. 

The scaffolding, both inner and outer, is swung from 
the steel Tees which project some distance beyond the 
wall. 

r\ . . The operation of the machine is very simple. 

UpcrdtlOn Tj-^e forms are set, the reenforcing bars are 
placed in position, the concrete is mixed, hoisted, dumped 
and packed between the forms, and allowed to set. 

On the next morning the nuts connecting the sections of 
the outer forms are loosened, the steel wedges fixing the 
sections of the inner forms are lifted, and both inner and 
outer forms swing free from the wall. Then by means of 
the jacks resting on the widely flanged base collar, the 
whole mechanism is lifted until in position for a new 
fill and the forms again are set by means of the bolts and 
the wedges. 

The actual raising of the forms for a new fill does not 
require more than ten minutes. Though some POLK 
SYSTEM^ contractors have successfully placed two fills a 
day during hot, dry weather, one fill a day is the most 
satisfactory rate of progress. 

4 1 . The POLK SYSTEM machine automatically 
AayantageS keeps the wall of regular thickness, true to 
a circle and perfectly plumb. It does away with an 
always risky system of scaffolding and allows no strain 
on the "green wall." It is especially adapted for high 
work. It also provides a rapid and economical means of 
hoisting and depositing concrete in the form. Besides all 
of this the contractor can, with the standard POLK 
SYSTEM machine, build any sort of circular reenforced 
concrete work, such as grain storage bins, coal pockets, 
smoke stacks and water tanks, besides the silos that the 
farmers are calling for. 

Everybody Believes in the Polk System 



THE POLK SYSTEM MACHINE 

rp .. .1 Knoxville, Tenn., Jan. 16th, 1915. 

leStimonialpoik-Genung-Polk Co., Ft. Branch, Indiana. 

Gentlemen: — In answer to your letter of the 11th inst. 
I am very willing indeed to advise you concerning my 
experience with the POLK SYSTEM. 

The three Polk System machines bought June 1, 1914, 
ran steadily the remainder of the season and netted me a 
splendid profit. I attribute no little of my success to the 
certainty with which your machines do their work. Actual 
construction costs, after applying your schedule to local 
conditions, ran close with my schedule — so I know just 
''where I was" all the time. The depreciation on my 
equipment was negligible. My one best job was a con- 
crete water tower 124 ft. high which I built with one of 
my Polk System machines. 

This year inquiries for silos are coming so fast I am 
quite sure the demand will be greater than I can supply 
with three machines and will have to buy more machines. 
I can plainly see that this permanent silo business offers 
big opportunity for contractors and I am glad I adopted 
the ''line." Yours truly, 

J. A. HIGGS. 
«T The POLK SYSTEM machine is made of the 

Warranty best material obtainable and by the most 
skillful mechanics in the business. Every single part of 
the machine is tested before leaving the factory. The 
POLK SYSTEM machine is warranted to stand up to the 
hardest handling without breakage of any kind. The 
entire resources of the POLK SYSTEM and the whole 
POLK SYSTEM reputation stand back of every single 
POLK SYSTEM machine. 

If there are points about the POLK SYSTEM that are 
not clear in your mind, kindly allow us to clarify them. 
If 3^ou want more complete information, if you want to 
know what our contractors are accomplishing, told in the 
words of the contractors themselves, we shall gladly fur- 
nish such information and such testimonials at your 
request. Prices will be furnished for delivery to any rail- 
way point in the United States, Canada or Mexico, or to 
any port for export trade. 

Polk Genung Polk Co., Inc., Fort Branch, Indiana 



The Hurst Silo 



Patented 1902. 1904, 1914 



THE CHAS. B. HURST COMPANY 

Established 1904 

819-829 Exchange Ave., Union Stock Yards 

CHICAGO, ILL. 

Chillicothe, O. Live Stock Exchange Bldg., Kansas City, Mo 

P J i We are the owners of the Hurst Keinforced Concrete 
rroaUCl Block Silo Patents and sole distributors of Hurst 
Patent Gravity Mass Block Molds for casting these Hurst Silo 
Blo.ks. 

riACrrinfinn ■'^^^'^^ Silos are built of reinforced concrete blocks 
L/CdtripUUn rnade in Hurst Patent Molds using the poured 
The Silo system. The Blocks are 23'% inches long, 11% 
inches high and 4 inches thick; are dense, water- 
proof and have tremendous crushing resistance. Each block has 
running through it two steel rods % inches thick. These rods 
have their ends out turned at right angles in recesses in the ends 

of the block, as shown in Figure 3, 
No. 10. They are curved to form a 
perfect circle in any desired circum- 
ference. 



The blocks are laid in cement 
mortar same as any building block. 
The o]ily difference is in the rein- 
forcing and locking device. Each 
circle of blocks when laid in the 
wall forms a circular chain of which 
each block with its reinforcement is 
the long link. When blocks are set 
steel links are placed over the ends 
of the reinforcing bars, tension ap- 
plied and then filled with cement. 
(See Figure 3, No. 10, and Figure 2.) 

In the above manner Hurst Silos 
are erected. For closer detail see 
Figure 3. When walls are complete, 
a plaster ^-inch thick of one part 
cement, two parts sand, one-fifth 
hydrated lime is applied, making a 
smooth, waterproof interior, which 
insures perfect settling and keeping 
of ensilage. 




HURST SILOS ARE SOLD EVERYWHERE UNDER A WRITTEN GUARANTEE 



THE HURST SILO 



HlirQl" Slln Mnlrl^ Hurst Patented Gravity Mass Block Molds 

are furnished in sets of ten molds each, 
having a capacity of two hundred blocks per day. They are made 
of light steel of great strength and are practically indestructible. 
Each mold consists of two sides, two sets of division plates, clamps 
for locking molds, and core covers. The sides of the mold are of 
pressed steel, fitted with hollow pressed steel cores, which hold the 
reinforcing rods in position when the blocks are poured. 

Each mold 



A S/DES mfOM^SLE SCOA' ^FTf/? riL/NS 

makes 10 8. cmry co/^.^'s & /?£/A/FO/?c£M'/vr 
blocks at one suppo/?/' b — 

full c ppwroRcm pod 



filling — 
size or half 
blocks which 
are used at 
the doors. 



w pos/rm 



D 



F - 




SLOT CO/£/f 
E CUPi/ED STEEL P/iRTITm 
E ADJUSTABLE CLAA/PS 



and 
work 



Simple, Durable, Practical and 
Economical 

therefore, our proposition should 



Opportunity 

The manufac- 
ture and sale 
of the Hurst 
Silo is a com- 
mercial proposition, 
will enable you to 
twelve months in the yeai 
interest you. 

A small investment in equipment will take care of an immense 
amount of business, and insure quick returns. 

For more than eleven years Farmers and Stockmen have recog- 
nized the Hurst Silo as a safe investment and an ornament to the 
farm. 

Eleven years and not a failure— That 'a the Eecord. The Hurst 
System of reinforced concrete construction reduces to the minimum 
time, labor, expense and competition. 

We "have some more openings for live, responsible parties, but 
they are going fast. Don't put it off, but act now. Write for 
particulars and catalog. 



You Can Make Hur.t Silo Block, in the Dead of Winter 



THE HURST SILO 



Operation 

1 — Bolt every 
4 feet for 
fastening 
roof. 

2— Step lad- 
der. 

3 — Bolt every 
3 feet for 
fastening 
chute. 

4 — Door, door 
frame, door 
ladder 
steps. 

5 — How lad- 
der steps 
lay in mor- 
tar joints. 

6 — E e i n f r c - 
ing rods. 

7 — S ectional 
interior 
view show- 
ing rein- 
forcing 
rods and 
links in 
blocks, also 
the smooth 
plaster fin- 
ish wall on 
the inter- 
ior. 

8 — Concr e t e 
floor. Hurst 
Silos can 
be built 
with or 
without 
this con- 
crete bot- 
tom. 

9 — ^F u n d a - 
t i n ex- 
tending be- 1 



low 
line. 



frost 




11X1 1;. - - . . 

10 — Shows reinforcing rods ready for steel link, 
link in position, tension applied to rods and 
finally reinforcing rods covered to prevent 



corrosion. 



Make Your Blocks in Your Plant, Erect Them on the Job 



THE HURST SILO 



These Prominent Men and Institutions 
Use and Endorse Hurst Tanks and Silos 

L. F. SWIFT 

President, Swift & Co. 
O. W. LEHMAN 

The Fair Store, Chicago 
THE ELMENDOEF FAEM 

Lexington, Ky. 
W. E. PINNEY 

Banker, Valparaiso, Lid. 
ILLINOIS STATE FAIR ASSOCIATION 

Springfield, 111. 
M. W. SAVAGE 

Owner of the Famous Dan Patch 
NORTH OAKS STOCK FARM 

Jas. J. Hill, Proprietor 
P. W. CLIFORD 

Railroad Contractor, Valparaiso, Ind. 
CHARLES KELLY 

Pres. National Live Stock Commission Co. 
S. P. STEVENS 

Sales Manager, Reid, Murdoch & Co. 
JAMES BROWN 

Head Buyer, Armour & Co. 
M. WOLFE ' 

Broker, Union Stock Yards, Chicago 
W. H. LEAZENBY 

Banker, Bethany, Mo. 
L. B. COCKRELL 

Banker, Winchester, Ky. 
THOMAS JOHNSON 

Pres. Lorain Coal & Dock Co., Columbus, 0. 
NORTHERN INDIANA LAND CO. 

Demotte, Ind. 
CAVE VALLEY LAND AND CATTLE CO. 

Pgoti^. Ill 
THE POLK SANITARY MILK CO. 

Indianapolis, Ind. 
CALDWELL & SON 

Burlington Jet., Mo. 

B. C. RHOME 

Pres. of North State Bank, Ft. Worth, Tex. 
E. E. BETTS 

Supt. Transportation, C. & N. W. R. R. 

G. A. STEPHENS 

Pres. Moline Plow Co. 

C. D. THOMPSON 

Trenton, Mo. 

It Will Cost You Nothing To Investigate. 



Thirty Silos Were Built for One Man. All Were Hurst's 



Reichert Circular Adjustable 
Metal Molds 

Reichert Mfg. Co., Inc. 



1436-1440 Booth Street 



Milwaukee, Wis. 



PRODUCT: 

Reichert's circular adjustable equipment, consisting of 
metal molds and accessories for all kinds of circular mono- 
lithic concrete construction; Reichert Metal Molds (F'at- 
ented) for any type or size of concrete construction. 

SCOPE OF USE FOR CIRCULAR ADJUSTABLE 
EQUIPMENT. 

Reichert's Metal Molds 
^ ' are adapted for use in Gen- 

eral Concrete Construction 
of Silos, Elevators, Cis- 
terns, Railway and Water- 
tanks, Barns, Milk-houses, 
Coal-pockets, etc., etc. 
ADVANTAGES: 

Reichert's Molds are suc- 
cessfully operated with 
common labor; can be used 
either with or w^ithout a 
round or square chute; 
adjustable to any diame- 
ter or w^all thickness; use 
less room in transportation 
or storage; any height of 
wall. Instead of having an 
angle iron on the horizontal 
edges a band iron is riveted 
to the horizontal edges, 
w^hich allow^s the molds to 
take the required arch of 
various circles. The bands 
are set back on one mold 
and project on the other, 
thus making a lap joint. 
This lap joint making a 
smooth -wall and off-sets or 
ridges cannot be made. 




^■ri J^i" 



Reichert's standard molds have been successfully operated 
on structures varying from 6 ft. in. to 40 ft. in. in 
diameter; from 2 ft. to 85 ft. in height, and v/a\\ thickness, 
varying from 3 in. to 18 in. 

The same unit mold since 1905. This record means 

the endurance of an idea, the permanent satisfaction of a 
definite design. 

OPPORTUNITY: 

Stop and consider what one Reichert Adjustable Equip- 
ment can do. Some farmers need big silos, others want them 
made smaller. With a Reichert outfit you can satisfy them 
all with no extra outlay. One equipment does it all. 

TESTIMONIAL: 

Ballinger, Texas, May 19, 1915. 
* * * I am having great success with my forms, 
building six feet easily on a tw^enty-foot silo, each day. 

Silo building is taking a boom in the county and I have 
all I can possibly do. 

Respectfully, 

Chas. Eisenhuth. 

ROOF MOLD: 

The dome roof is the most unique design of any style of 
roof ever placed on a concrete silo. The Reichert Roof 
Mold consists of curved segments which rest on the silo 
wall and are locked to a hub, or ring, at the top. The 
angles of the separate sections fit into this hub, or ring, 
thus locking the entire equipment together. The segments 
of the roof can be packed closely together and loaded in a 
small space in moving from one job to another. The roof 
molds include the complete cornice mold and a mold for a 
dormer window^. 



REMARKS: 

We are willing 



to go further than merely 




sending you 
our litera- 
ture, prices, 
etc. We w^ill 
gladly shovsr 
you the op- 
eration o f 
these molds 
right on the 
job or in 
our factory. 
Once seen, 
you'll have 
none others 
but the 
Reichert. 



CHAS. H. SWAN 

"Superior Lock" Stave Silo 

The latest and most up-to-date stave silo on the market 

The Chas. H. Swan Circular Staves 



The Chas. H. Swan 




Superior Lock" Staves are 30 inches 
long, 10% inches wide, 2^ 
inches thick, and are circular 
to conform to the circle of the 
silo, having a continuous 
tongue and groove around the 
stave completely locking with 
6 other staves. With the 
tongue and groove or shoulder 
joint each stave has a true 
bearing with each other, and 
make a perfectly smooth silo 
inside and out, and with the 
staves made on a circle it 
makes the silo perfectly round 
and one of the easiest to erect. 
A heavy galvanized band or 
hoop encircles each tier of 
staves. In erecting the Chas. 
H. Swan ''Superior Lock" 
Stave Silo no expert help is 
necessary as the staves set up 
as easily as setting up toy 
blocks. 

Chas H. Swan 

Labor Saving Stave Machine 

The machine for making the 
Chas. H. Swan, ''Superior 
Lock" Staves is the last word 
in mould construction. All 
parts of the mould are perfectly 
milled with special milling 
cutters, the rear section of the 
mould is securely fastened to 
the base, the front section is 
hinged to the base and swings 
down, the ends are hinged to 
the rear section and swing out 
and when closed are locked to 
the front section with heavj^ 



malleable clasps, the mould can be easily adjusted to make 
different curved staves. This machine was designed by Chas, 
n. Swan with a view of giving the contractor a labor saving 
machine, one that is simple in construction, with few oper- 
ations, and one that can be used with an automatic tamper. 
One of these machines is capable of constructing 600 perfect 
staves daily. 




Onnnrfiifiifv ^^^ ^^^^ contractor who wishes to engage 
"* ^ in the best paying propositions of the 

day; one that will pay a larger j)ercentage of profit on your 
money than you can receive from any other source; a busi- 
ness that is not here for a day, but one that is here to stay, 
and getting better each year — then begin at once to manu- 
facture and erect ' ' Superior Lock ' ' stave silos. 
Write for complete information about this up-to-the-minute 
stave silo, and get our big money making proposition. We 
are sure it will please you. Write today. 



Swan Concrete Stave Silo Co. 



Cassopolis 



Michigan 



Winner Opening Silo Roof 




I 



^'? •& 



]\Ir. Concrete Man, are you 
fully aVireast of the times? 
Have you felt the commercial 
pulse, the wants and needs of 
people in every requisite of 
the silo you are now selling? 
For instance, take the roof 
you are selling and installing 
on your silos. Is it such as 
you can honestly and earn- 
estly recommend to your pa- 
trons? Whether it be wood, 
iron or concrete, if it is a sta- 
tionary roof it is badly out of 
harmony with silo construc- 
tion progress, — the wants and 
needs of the farmer. 

Listen: You sell your cus- 
tomer a concrete silo, — splen- 
did structure, yet, if you rec- 
ommend and sell him a sta- 
tionary roof, you are doing 
him an iii.iiistioe. You are 
compelling him to use only 
15% of his silo. IM It Right? 

Progress — The last word in 
the silo world— THE WINNER 
EXTENSION ROOF — allows 
the farmer to use every cubic 
inch of his silo space. Adds 
25f^ to the capacity of the 
silo. The WINNER EXTEN- 
SION ROOF gives light, fresh 
air, ventilation, convenience 
during tilling time; gives per- 
fect protection to silo and en- 
silage; easily installed on silo, 
and easily opened and closed. 

You owe it to yourself — you 
owe it to the men whose 
money pays for the silos you 
build, that you give them an 
opportunity to use every foot 
of silo you sell them. The 
WINNER EXTENSION ROOF 
does this, — you should recom- 
mend and sell it. The farmer 
needs and wants the EXTEN- 
SION ROOF. 

We make the WINNER EX- 
TENSION ROOF just fit and 
' right for vour particular silo. 
To legitimate builders and 
dealers we allow a neat profit. 
Write us for our proposition. 



SILO SPECIALTY MFG. CO. 

423 Weston Bldg. :-: Clinton, Iowa 



Build for Permanency 




The silo which defies time and 
elements is the concrete silo 
Years may come and go but the 
concrete silo will stand as a 
symbol of 20th century perma- 
nent construction ideas. Yet 99% 
of the present concrete silos 
iiave one great weakness, — THE 
DOOR rRA3IE AND DOOR. 
It IS crude, ill-fitting-, cumber- 
some, and really inadequate for 
Its purpose. 

Perhaps your silo door and 
trame are not as thev should be 
I.ook into the latest and most 
scientific door frame constructed, 
—the AIR-TITE all steel door 
frame. With it you can ap. 
proach your prospective cus- 
tomer and say: "With my silo 
you get the best and most prac- 
tical^ door frame constructed." 
Consider These Points: The silo 
door :s solely for the purpose of 
'hscharging silage as needed, 
that this may be done quickly 
and with the least possible la- 
bor, the door must be continu- 
ous. The AIR-TITE is continu- 

^V-''\;- - ^I^e admittance of air"fo siTa^g^'e whI VoH^'it '' ThPn' 
door' is "sa '''' """' ^' ^^^ ''^''' ^^ ^'^« silo^^a^? T^he im-^I^^E 

vn^i^"f,-o^"^^''''S*.^'°"'' ^*'° *° ^^^""^ "^e test of time. Should not 
your frame and doors be likewise? The AIR-TITE frame is all «,t^Pi 

^e?e '^^But "mnvf^^''^"' ^""''T- ^"^^ ^"d elements™ King Co'n- 
ciete. But more, — your customer, the farmer want<? ^imniir^iAr 
ease of operating, etc. All this he finds in th? llR tite^"'^o fS' 
no paper packing no freezing of door to frame Just a' wl^oleIo{ 
book?Pt • Hrr ^'l"V* t'1'*^ AIR-TITB that you should Low Our 
booklet. Modern Silo Ideas." tells you about it. Write for it 

Silo Specialty Mfg. Co., gar* 



Monsco Equipment 

For Building Concrete Silos, Grain Bins and Tanks 

Monolithic Silo and Construction Company 

351-3 Peoples Gas Building, Chicago, Illinois 



PRODUCT — Builders of Molds and Equipment for the 
construction of Monolithic Silos. 

DESCRIPTION — Monsco Molds are built very heavily of 
16 ga. black steel sheets in all standard sizes. The molds 
are made in two sections, each 3 feet high, and each circle 
is divided 
into segments 
of convenient 
size. The 
molds are re- 
inforced with 
l^" steel an- 
gles and 
channels 
welded to the 
sheets to in- 
sure rigidity. 

The chute 
form is an 
integral part 
of one of the 
segments and 
is adjusted to 
proper position by means of transverse turnbuckles. 

With each equipment comes a scaffold-hoist and bucket. 
The scaffold is raised at will by two cast-steel worm-geared 
winches attached to the center mast. This equipment does 
away with building false work of any kind. 

OPERATION — The operation of Monsco Molds has been 
so simplified to make it easy for even common labor. Each 
mold is so divided to make every segment convenient in size 
and weight for easy handling and interchangable. Three 
feet of wall is poured at a time. Six feet a day. Next day 
the lower 3 foot section is released, raised and set ready for 
pouring. This section clamps onto the lower three foot 
section which is filled with concrete, set sufl^iciently to 
eliminate the possibility of a wall fracture. The molds are 




entirely independent of the center-mast. This does away 
with constant plumbing- of the center-mast every time the 
molds are raised. The scaffold and hoist are also raised to 
points of advantage on the steel center-mast. 

OPPORTUNITY — In the Monsco system the farmer is 
given a continuous door (one easily installed and removed) 
a concrete chute — two items the up-to-date farmer positive- 
ly demands. 
^ \ 

With the Monsco 
equipment cold- 
drawn steel mesh 
reinforcement is 
used. This type of 
reinforcement is in- 
finitely superior to 
bar or rod reinforce- 
ment, as it makes 
the wall reinforced 
uniformly through- 
out. On our own 
work we use 38-inch 
width mesh, thus 
giving an oppor- 
tunity to lap 2 
inches on each 
course. This gives 
you strong talking 
points to farmers on 
strength as well as 
<. permanence. 

OUR SPECIALTY — Why, ask the farmers, don't you build 
a concrete roof on the silo? That's just the question we ask. 
Owners of Monsco Molds are getting more for the silos 
they build and also save the cost of buying a steel roof. 
Their Monsco Roof Molds enable them to produce excellent 
roofs. This mold can be erected in 90 minutes and dis- 
mantled and removed in 60 minutes. Ask us about it when 
talking molds. 

REMARKS — Our copyrighted instruction sheets are mailed 
to every customer as soon as the order is booked. These 
instructions cover every possible detail, and we leave noth- 
ing to guess work or experimenting on the part of the 
operator. You can't go wrong with Monsco Molds. Write 
for our latest literature. We have splendid catalogs on the 
silo proposition as well as our equipment. Ask for it. 




Monolithic Silo & Construction Company 



351-3 Peoples Gas BIdg., 



Chicago, Illinois 



Perfect Reinforced Silo Block 

Perfect Reinforced Cement Silo & Cistern Co., Delaware, 0. 

PERFECT SILO BLOCKS are shaped to the radius of the silo, and are 24 
inches long, 12 inches high and 4 inches thick. The blocks lay up large, re- 
ducing the cost of laying, while on account of the thin wall they are not too 
heavy to handle. ,,.,.„.. 

Each block is reinforced with two iron rods running lengthwise, 6 inches 
apart. Each rod is looped 6 inches from the end. These loops in the rod 
coincide with the holes that are formed edgewise through the block 1 inch 
in diameter and 6 inches from either end. In laying the blocks these 1-inch 
openings are filled with cement grout and a rod or dowel pin is pressed 
through the soft cement, connecting the two blocks. Each pin is inserted in 
such a way that it passes entirely through one block and half way through 

the block above and the one below. 

This provides for a continuous lateral rein- 
forcement around the silo every 6 inches, and 
the dowel pins that run through the blocks 
from the bottom to the top of the silo form a 
vertical reinforcement every 12 inches. 

A strip of netting composed of 7 longitud- 
inal and 12 vertical steel wires, imbedded in 
the block just beneath the outer surface, is 
designed to prevent any liability of cracking 
of the face of the block. This virtually forms 
a steel covering in the block near the outer 
surface of the entire silo. 

To unite the blocks and to overcome the 
outward pressure or thrust, a two-ply twisted 
steel cable of No. 8 wire is laid outside of the 
dowel pins in the mortar between the courses 
of blocks, in grooves provided for that pur- 
pose. The ends 
of these cables 
ire looped about 
a continuous 
gas pipe which 
extends from 
the top to the 
bottom of the 
structure, 
through the 
blocks each side 
of the doorway. 
This gas pipe 
also passes 
through holes 
in the ends of 
the ladder 
rounds thus the 
cable and the 
ladder rungs in 
connection with 
the gas pipe 
form acomplete 
r e i nforcement 
around the silo 

from the top to _ . , . 

the bottom. This illustration shows the con- 
throughout each tinuoas doorway with ladder rungs 
foot of its across same every alternate course of 
height, which blocks, and the manner of connecting 
r e i nforcement the ladder rungs and the twisted steel 
is four times 
more than suf- 
ficient to with- 
stand the pres- 
sure of the en- 
silage, but it is 
so made in or- 
d«r to withstand 
the heat of a 
possible fire. 

" Perfect " Silos Are Never Adversely Criticizde 





cable by means of the continuous gas 
pipe passing through the dowel pin 
holes in the blocks each side of dooi- 
way. It also shows the rabbet formed 
in the edge of the doorway blocks 
to receive the doors. The dotted 
lines at the right indicate positions of 
gas pipe, dowel pins, cable, netting 
and loop wires. 



Playford Stave Silos 



Playford Mfg. Co., Inc. 



Elgin, minols 



Those -w'lio live in the states of 3Iiiiiiesotn, North and South 
Dakota, loAva, Nebraska and Wisconsin, and ^vish to acquire an 
agency or manufacturing- and sales rights in same, address the 
MINNESOTA CEMENT CONSTRUCTION CO., L,ONG PRAIRIE, 
MINN. 

PRODUCT — A reinforced, ribbed, slushed concrete stave silo of 
great strength and matchless durability and efliciency. 

DESCRIPTION 

— The staves 
are slush mold- 
ed in special 

molds. Each e„,i View of Staves. Sh«>win8: Off-set Hoops ami Form of 
stave is thor- Const riution and Keress for Pointing Outside. 
oughly reinforced with bars. Each stave has a 4M rib that adds 
still greater strength. Each stave has a concave and convex 
edge and a lock on the ends. The staves interlock when erecting. 
The Playford staves are five times stronger than the ordinary 

stave. Absolutely waterproof. 





Outside pointing prevents the 
staves from "checking" and re- 
lieves the strain on the staves, 
thereby making it unnecessary 
to double-hoop. Hoops can't sag. 
The Playford Silo embodies the 
latest, up-to-date knowledge and 
experience in silo building. Be- 
ing a new silo, we are not forced 
to cling to old ideas. AVe pro- 
duce a silo that is strikingly dif- 
ferent. The Playford will enable 
you as a contractor to offer an A 
No. 1 business proposition to the 
farmer. 

OUR PROPOSITION — Be the con- 
tractor who will be able to give 
the farmer a real business propo- 
sition. The demand already ex- 
ists — trade will come to you 
easily and quickly. There is 12 
solid years of silo experience be- 
hind our proposition. We have 
plenty of capital and the equip- 
ment to "make good" in every 
direction. It's the broadest and 
most workable kind of a deal 
ever put out. Now is the chance 
to secure the choicest territory. 
Write to-day. 



Interlocking Cement Stave Silos 

Interlocking Cement Stave Silo Company 

414-17 FLYNN BLDG. PES MOINES, lA. 

The inventions used and developed by this Company make It possible 
for our lessees to construct concrete silos, water-tanks, and other build- 
ings, of any desired size, and to sell them to the farmer at a price which 
approximates the cost of an ordinary good wood structure. This Is only 
possible because of the great simplicity of our system, and the fact that 
we only use one stave in any construction, regardless of whether It be a 
silo eight feet In diameter, or twenty-p.ight feet. Our system does not 
require a manufacturer to keep on hand a number of different sized staves 
to be used in different sized structures, and therefore this not only slmpli- 
nes his business, but reduces the up-keep expense to a minimum. One 
of our machines is capable of constructing five hundred staves per day, 
and each stave is just as perfect as is the gearing of a watch. 

The erecting of a silo, or any other structure requiring a multiplicity 
of these staves, is as simple as is the mating of toy building blocks by a 




child. This is made possible by the absolute perfection of the machine 
which we use for the manufacturing of our staves, a cut of which is 
shown herewith. 

Our INTERLOCKING feature Is such that there is not a Joint in our 
completed structure, but that is strengthened by an encircling band, and 
this is accomplished with a lesser number of bands than Is used by any 
other construction known. We will give you a full and satisfactory guar- 
antee concerning everything regarding our system. 

If you are desirous of engaging in a business which la the Uvest and 
most flourishing business there is in the country today, and want a proposi- 
tion which will pay you a larger percentage on your money than you can 
receive from anything else, write us today, and we will thoroughly explain 
our proposition. 



Forms for Monolithic Silos 

MARTIN CONCRETE FORM CO., Ottawa, Kan. 

P J |. We are manufacturers of the Martin Steel Forms 
for Monolithic Silos; also Culvert Forms in Circle 
Arch and Flat Top Patterns. 

ri<*cr»finf irt« '^^^ Martin Silo Form is made of sheet steel 

^ " which is held in place and adjusted to either 

12, 14, 16, 18, and 20 foot diameter sizes. The adjustment is made 
by means of turn-buckles. The form is held in place by angle irons 
radiating from the center and braced from the bottom to the top 
of the form. The form is raised by means of jacks used on the 
upright reinforcing rods. 

Adaptability 

When you buy a Martin 
Steel Form for Mono- 
lithic Silo work you are 
buying a form that has 
all the good features of 
other silo forms and one 
other feature that gives 
you the advantage over 
users of other makes. 
This feature is its ad- 
justability. With a 
Martin Form you can 
build silos qf five differ- 
ent dimensions. It is not 
necessary to have five 
separate equipments. 

With a Martin Steel Form in hand, your 
opportunity is assured. Its wide range, its 
perfect operation and its uninterrupted success is bound to help 
you in the silo business. Eemember one investment in Martin 
Forms puts you in a business where others have invested money for 
new forms every time a new size silo was in demand. 

Let us send you our catalog and prices. We are certain they 
will interest you. 




Opportunity 



Ask About Our ADJUSTABLE CULVERT FORMS 



Playf ord Cement Stave Silo 

Cement Stave Silo Company Des Moines, la. 

Patentees and Manufacturers 



Product 



Description 



A system of erecting silos of cement staves which 
enables you to build them in any diameter and height 
at a lower cost than any other permanent silo, and a system for 
making the cement staves. 

The machine for mak- 
ing the cement staves 
is on the order of a block machine, is 
portable and is operated with the same 
ease. This machine builds staves 30 
inches long-, 10 inches wide, 2l^ inches 
thick with concave and convex edges 
that make perfect socket joints. 

In construction the PLAYFORD CE- 
MENT STAVES are put up vertically, in- 
terlocking at the half, with joints her- 
metically sealed and reinforced every 15 
inches with steel hoops on the outside. 
This makes a smooth, thin, rigid, air- 
tight and strong enough wall to with- 
stand load and storm pressures, and 
frost. Open joints are allowed every 10 
inches for expansion and contraction to 
eliminate cracked walls from heat or 
frost. 





Advantages Y l^^ 



With 

e 

PLAYFORD CEMENT 
STAVE you do not 
limit your operations 
to silos only. Water 
tanks, utility houses, 
culverts and even 
straight-wall barns 
are built with these 
staves. Don't you see 
your opportunity here? 

Opportunity fl^^l 

chance to make 
money. Better write 
us for particulars and 
terms on our STAVE 
MACHINES. 



Playford Cement Stave Silo is the King: of Silos — Ask the farmer 



The HOBBS 

Block Machine 



Will Do More 

and 
Better Work 




Success comes to the 
block maker who is 
^.^j^^ prepared to fill any order 
for anv building. You absolutely must have a 
'.^acire that makes a .-at. variety of s.ze^^^^^^ 
expense. Recognize the wisdom ot •/ -rw^l do 
oM and installing the new machine if it will do 
more and better work. .^^ ^i^^^ 

Order a Hobbs on tr.a --^ ^^^^ ^^^^Vplates do not make 
machine you ever saw, it o^i con p r ^^ change 

-l,::!it,y!^farSi.r.uf;our canape as .eU. 
First get our catalog. ^...^tf-hv ri\ 

THE HOBBS CONCRETE MACHlNERYja 

14.4S West Boulevard ^^ 



Lansing Company 

LANSING, MICHIGAN 



NEW YORK 
288-289 West St. 

CHICAGO 
169 West Lake St. 

MINNEAPOLIS 
330 North First St. 



WAREHOUSES 

KANSAS CITY 
1415 West 10th St. 

SAN FRANCISCO 
338 Brannan St. 

PHILADELPHIA 

Willow and 

North American Sts. 



BOSTON 
78 Cambridge St. 
CharlestOTm DlAt. 

Branch Factory 
PARKIN, ARK. 



Product — I^ansing- Dove Tail Silo Block Machine. 

* *" , A machine designed to make blocks of unusual strenerth 

to resist the pressure of the ensilage. 

19 ^1^^ *i^i""^^^^?o^? almost any diameter wanted, being made In 

11, 14, lb and 18-foot sizes, and the blocks for any of these sizes 

can be spaced a little differently for making larger or smaller 

diameters. For example, the 14-foot size will answer for 12. 14 

and 16-foot diameter. 

The MachineTr""-^ made of heavy gray iron castings, consisting of 
fTnl r>itt! i"!^® and mold. The mold consists of two end plates. 
^^r^«5 -^^ ^^^3 ^^^^ P^^^® ^"<^ cores. A complete outfit is fur- 
thl block^ sample pallet, tamper and striker for leveling 

w^^JI^-.^^^^^!,"L^^^o® H^^'^^^^^^s are made— 8x9x16 and 8x10x16. 

make Sv.f'W^^^ ?.^^^$^^^°^ ^^^^^^ ^^^« «^l°s- Both machines 
make blocks 7% inches high, and eight wide and 16 inches long. 

Ooeratioil ZZ^^- operation of producing a block on our Silo Block 
^JIX """, ,^,achine is very simple. All you have to do is to 
operate it like any block machine. 




Showing^ the inter-tier and inter-block 
tie used on our silo blocks. 

Reinforcina~''^^®^^®^"^o^c^"& of the blocks is provided for In the 
rLCluiurcingnianufacture of the blocks, the finished block having 
grooves across the top in which wire reinforcing is placed ''^^'''^ 
It will be noticed that the dovetail opening sets over a small 

thli''L°P/"'"^.^'?5 ^^^° ^^'^ opening is pbured soft cemint When 
this hardens. It thoroughly binds the different tiers of blocks as 
Slo ^Th1.^Pnmh?n?t^"^^ block, together into a continuous concrete 
fiVtp'w fhi combination of the three reinforcements makes it abso- 
* t^y,,^^® strongest and best silo on earth, having the advantae-e 
of hollow wall with the strength of the solid wall. advantage 

Remarks 7^?^? Lansing Dovetail Silo Block machine is made of 
«^«^iiiaiivd the best grade of materials and guaranteed t be free 

iet^iul^^^^L?""^ }"" ^-^^^^J material or workmaSsh??. ^ FurthI? 
aetalls and prices furnished on request. 



Peerless Silo Molds 

Monolithic Concrete Silo Build- 
ing is highly profitable if the 
right equipment is used. The 
RIGHT one is the one with the 
largest daily capacity, making 
the greatest possible speed with 
the least effort and least possi- 
ble expense. This is accomplished 
with a Peerless Silo outfit, the 
ORIGINAL Steel Molds for silo 
building. 

The principal advantages of 
the Peerless System and Molds 
are: 

1. A CHUTE CONTINUOUS 
WITH MAIN WALL. See U. S. 
Letters Patent No. 1,122,329. 
Other patents pending. 

2. FLEXIBLE TYPE of molds 
— adjustable to different diame- 
ters but retaining the rigidity of 
a standard mold. 

3. UNIQUE SIMPLICITY of mechanism and operation; elimi- 
nating all cumbersome or troublesome equipment such as center- 
mast, guy ropes, wires, etc. 

4. SALES METHODS, (a) We GIVE you EXCLUSIVE RIGHT 
to build Peerless Silos within a specified district. This valuable 
concession costs you nothing'. The only molds sold on this plan, 
(b) We sell an interest in molds and build in partnership with 
option to purchase our interest. 

5. We use the same equipment we sell. 
WRITE US FOR PEERLESS PARTICULARS. 




71/^' Daily Capacity Mold; 
&f Capacity, 2 Rings 3' each. 




Monolithic Concrete Barn and Silos, Lexington, Ky., Built with 
Peerless Silo and Wall Molds. 

New Enterprise Concrete Machinery Company 

910 Fir«t NaUonal Bank Bldg., CHICAGO, ILL. 



Hoosier Silo Extension Roof 



AND METAL CHUTE 



Sheet Metal Specialty Co. Goshen, Ind. 

Manufacturers 

Product "^ metal silo roof which can be opened up out of the 

way, when filling the silo, and when so opened forms 

an extension to the top of the silo, which takes care of the settling 

of ensilage. 




Description 



Roof Open 



The roof consists of three 
parts: a base, a double 
section segment and a single section seg- 
ment. The base is fastened to the silo 
by means of strap irons. The segments 
are made of crimped galvanized sheet 
metal and both single and double section 
segments are hinged alternately to the 
base. The double section segments have 
two wings hinged on each side, which fold 
one inward and the other outward. When 
opened and locked they form a complete 
circle, like shown in illustration. 

Arlx/nnfacT^e '^^^ farmer once shown 
i^uvaina^ca ^^.j^i g^^ these points in 

favor of a HOOSIER roof: 

A roof that is not in the way when 

ng the silo, 

A roof that makes it possible to use 

your silo. 

A roof that will fit any silo and work 

isfactorily. 

A roof that measures the same on the 

ide as your silo, therefore, the silage 

the same volume as that in your silo. 

A roof that is void of cross arms 

and braces to hinder your silage 

from settling. 

p__„__I_-The HOOSIER SILO 

ivemarKs extension roof win 

help cinch the sale of a silo. Just 
try it on the next farmer and see 
how interested he'll become. Only 
men like him will appreciate the 
value of this roof, because you give 
him more for his money. 

Better get posted on this HOOSIER 
SILO EXTENSION ROOF, Mr. Con- 
crete Silo Builder. It will help you 
wonderfully in your business. Ask 
for our catalogue. 



The HOOSIER Roof is not only right in theory but Guaranteed Practical 



Buckeye Silo Roofs 




Gambrel Eoof With Dormer Window. 

We manufacture a full line of sheet metal equipment for 
concrete silo, such as Gambrel, Third Pitch and Extension 
Eoofs. Also Metal Chutes, Ladders and Ladder Rungs. 



Buckeye All Steel Silo Door For Concrete Silos 





MANUFACTURED BY 

The Thomas & Armstrong Co. 
London, Ohio 

For sale by 
B L. BEVINGTON MCH. CO. 

^.« «, xxr u- » „ Ri„^ CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 

549 W. Washington Blvd. ^ 

— AINU — 

THE PIERCE CO. 

,,«o w/ iju • RW« KANSAS CITY, MO 

1102 Waldheim tSldg. 



"MEDUSAIZE" YOUR SILOS 



BY USING 



Medusa Gray Portland Cement 
Medusa Waterproofing 
Medusa Waterproofed Cement 



YOU want your silo to last for generations 
and you want it impervious to water and 
dampness. When you use Medusa products 
you are using the same materials that have 
been adopted by the U. S. Government for 
coast defense work, breakwaters, etc., and 
this should convince the most skeptical of their 
superiority. Don't take any chances by allow- 
ing "something just as good" to be used. 



BUILD OF MEDUSA 

AND MAKE YOUR SILO A MONUMENT TO YOUR GOOD JUDGMENT 



Write for prices, sam- 
ples and illustrated and de- 
scriptive catalogs contain- 
ing tests and testimonials. 




Oandusky fortland Cement Co. 

SANDUSKY, OHIO 







On a Bag of Cement 
Stands for a Record 
of 24 Years of Quality 

When you buy lumber you can see the quality 
for yourself; when you buy Portland Cement 
you must rely on the maker and the dealer. 
There are different kinds and grades of "Port- 
land" Cement. Don't risk ruining your job 
with poor cement. 



ALPHA 



THE GUARANTEED 
PORTLAND 

CEMENT 



is warranted by us and by all ALPHA dealers 
to more than meet the U.S. Government stand- 
ard. The Government has used ALPHA ex- 
tensively for fortifications, sea walls, dams, etc. 
The ALPHA chemists test the product every 
hour, keeping it up to the very top m uniform- 
ity, fineness and binding power. 

Ask the ALPHA Dealer for further details and for 
a copy of the large ALPHA book, showing how to build 
silos and make scores of farm and home concrete improve- 
ments. If you don't know the ALPHA dealer, write us, 
mentioning what you are planning to build. Address 
Dept. B. 

Alpha Portland Cement Company 

General Offices: Easton, Pa., Sales Offices: New York. Chicago 
pSeiphia, Boston. Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Baltimore, Savannah 



'ZkX^X.*^^^. 






An Average of 51 



visitors each business 
day for six months 
called at this demon- 
strating silo erected by 
the Holmes - Harding 
Company i n Sioux 
City, Iowa, with AT- 
LAS PORTLAND 
CEMENT. 

There seems to be 
quite a little interest in 
Atlas Concrete Silos — 
and with good reason. 

THE ATLAS PORTLAND 
CEMENT CO. 

New York Chicago Philadelphia 
Minneapolis Des Moines 




OfFlCC IHSIOt . 

jjOU|£HAEWII6« 




Marquette Portland Cement 



"The Certified Cement" 

A cement of certified 
quality for all purposes 

Manilf arhirp Marquette Portland Cement is a mined 
iYlanUraClUrc product. After the rock is blasted from 
the mine it is conveyed to the surface of the earth, where it 
goes through the various processes ot crushing, burning, pul- 
verizing and curing, until it is ready for sacking. Hourly tests 
are made of all raw materials and at different stages of manu- 
facture as well as the finished product to insure uniform as 
well as the best quality. Every bag of Marquette Portland 
Cement is guaranteed to conform to Standard and Government 
Specifications; there is a green guarantee tag attached to every 
bag; it certifies Marquette quality. 

Packages and Territory cemenf !! £'£'t 

strong duck bags or strong paper sacks into the states of 
IllinoTs, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Indiana and Michigan. 
Prices are quoted by barrel; four bags to a barrel. 

I ., k Ya ^^"^ ^^^^ ^^^ request to anyone interested 

Literature ^^^ building in the Middle West. 

"Building for the Future," a book containing photographic 
proof of Marquette achievements. 

"Concrete in the Country," the use of concrete on the farm. 

"Concrete Silos" information on the building as well as 
filling of silos. 

Marquette Cement Mfg. Company 

Marquette Building CHICAGO 



EVERY BAG OF MARQUETTE IS GUARANTEED 



The Ideal Hoists 

Reversible or Non-Reversible 

Made by 
UNIVERSAL HOIST & MFG. CO. 

605 State St., Cedar Falls, Iowa 



PRODUCT — We are manufacturers of the world known Ideal Hoists. 

Made in sizes and styles suitable for all purposes. The 
hoist described here is most suited for silo construction. 

DESCRIPTION— The Regular Ideal Hoist is mounted on an 8-foot 
frame equipped with friction band brake and ratchet 
brake, adapted for direct hoisting, single platform elevator, derrick, 
etc. It will handle loads up to 1500 pounds. 

OPERATION — Ideal Hoists are equipped to be operated with any 
make of Gas Engine, motor or other power; driving 
sprocket wheels and chain, or belt wheel for belt drive furnished free. 
They can be mounted up with a concrete 
mixer or other machines and connected 
to the same engine, so that it is not necessary 
to buy an extra engine to operate the 
hoist. The simplicity, ease of operation 
and reasonable price of this hoist has 
made it very popular among contractors 
who specialize on small buildings, silos, etc. 

30 DAYS' FREE TRIAL 

— All Ideal Hoists are 
shipped subject to ap- 
proval after 30 days 
trial. They are guaran- 
teed to fulfill the re- 
quirements in e V e r }■ 
respect. There is no 
risk in placing your 
order for an Ideal Hoist. 
It is a valuable addition 
to any contractors' 
equipment — soon pays 
for itself in the saving 
of time, labor and ex- 
pense. 

REMARKS — Further information in regard to a hoist for any particu- 
lar kind of work will be gladly furnished. We build 
them in all styles and sizes. Ask for our Catalog and prices and 
state what work you want to do with a hoist. 




The Low Down 

Concrete Mixer 




The feeding device on this machine is positive, 
accurate and automatic. The materials are forced 
into the mixing trough in accurate proportions and 
even, continuous, unbroken streams which guaran- 
tees a finished concrete of even texture without 
weak or lean spots. This kind of a mixture is 
highly essential in all concrete silo construction. 
This machine has a capacity of from 4 to 12 cubic 
yards per hour. It is constructed entirely of mal- 
leable iron and steel. Has a mixing device so de- 
signed that the cement is thoroughly incorporated 
with the aggregate. 



Write for descriptive catalog and prices to 

Elite Mfg. Co. Ashland, Ohio 



The Knickerbocker Co. 



Jackson, Michigan 



Mfrs. of 




Batch and Continuous 
Concrete Mixers 

A batch machine 
with stationary meas- 
uring hopper, equipped 
with a hoist for elevat- 
ing concrete to forms. 

Capacity — 7 cu. ft. 
loose materials per 
batch. 

Power — 4 H.-P. Ideal 
or Novo. 

Weight— 2,300 lbs. 

Wheels— 16 and 22- 
inch. 

Capacity of hoist— 
500 lbs. 

One man can advantageously operate these machines and produce 
sufficient concrete for silo requirements. Where more capacity is 
desired, put on another man. Machines furnished with wagon 
tread when required. _ ^^^ ^ Coltrin-A contin- 

uous machine that has 
mixed concrete for every 
country requirement. 

Capacity — 8 cu. yds. per 
hour. 

Power— 3 H.-P. Ideal or 
Novo. 

Weight— 1,900 lbs. 

Wheels — 22 and 30 inch. 

Our Machines Combining 

Portability— Durability— Dependability 

Quickly Save Their Cost 

The Knickerbocker Co. 




MINSTER 



Batch Concrete Mixers 



are for 



Silo and Farm Work 

they are 

Handy — Rapid — Economical 



Operated 

by 

ONE 

MAN 

or 

A 

GANG. 



Capacity 

up to 

30 cu. yds. 

per day 

easily. 




WEIGHT 

ON 

SKIDS 

340 lbs. 

On truck 

with 
"ENGINE 
1,000 lbs. 
DUST 
AND 
GRIT 
PROOF 
BEAR- 
INGS. 



Low Price— High Quality 



Mixes sand, gravel or crushed stone, wet, dry or any way 
concrete is wanted. 

Easily moved from place to place. 

Built of best materials, and made for hard continuous service. 
Fully guaranteed. The best machine you can get for your 
work. Write today for full particulars and prices. 

THE CUMMINGS MACHINE CO. g.'.^sx^E'Jir l?ff.?5 




FOR SILO WORK 



the two mixers illustrated on this page have fully mei 
the exacting conditions of good concrete silo construction, 



The Eureka 
Batch Mixer 

holds 5 to 6 cu. ft. dry 
material per batch. 
Furnished with Side 
Loader, Batch Hopper, or 
Wheelbarrow Hopper. A 3 j4 
h. p. engine operates it. Its 
portability and compact, substantial 
construction are commendable features 
for frequent moves over rough roads. 

The Eureka Continuous Mixer 

shown here has a capacity of 5 to 8 
cu. yds. an hour. It is well adapted 
for silo work, and is widely used for 
that purpose. 

On account of limited space here 
will you kindly ask for catalog and 
more complete information. 





EUREKA MACHINE COMPANY 

112 Handy St., Lansing, Mich. 



a 



99 




The Standard 

Low Charging 
Concrete Mixer 

The charging 
platform of "The 
Standard" Mixer is 
only 24-inches high 
from the ground 
and is furnished 
with the outfit (see 
illustration) which 
maizes the mixer 
easily charged di- 
rect from wheel- 
barrows. This 
does away with the 
necessity of building high platforms or the use of dangeroue s'Vio 
loaders which cause three-fourths of your delays and breakdowns. 

The large opening in charging end of drum p.ermits constant 
inspection of batch at all times and enables you to determine exact 
condition of same before discharging. It is essential to get good 
concrete in the construction of Silos, Tanks, etc. 

The illustration below shows mixer equipped with hoist for 
elevating conciete or other uses and is especially adapted for con- 
struction of Silos, Towers, Chimneys, etc. This design provides the 
handling of mixed concrete in an elevated position without requiring 
a separate hoisting equipment. The mixer and hoist are driven by 
the same engine and can be operated together or independently as 
desired. 

The weight of "The Standard" Low 
Charging Mixer is reduced to a minimum 
on account of its simple construction, few 
working parts, etc., which 
allow the outfit to be easily 
moved from one location lo 
another. These machines 
are built in capacities of 
3 to 40 cubic feet per 
batch and complete Cat- 
alog No. 22SB will be 
mailed at your rfrjurst. 




The Standard Scale & Supply Co., Mfrs. 

1345-47 Wabash Ave. 243-245 Water St. 136 W. Broadway 

Chicago Pittsburgh New York 

35 So. 4th St. 1547 Columbus Rd. 

Philadelphia Cleveland 



The Winner 

Model **E" 4 and 6 Cubic Ft. Concrete Mixer 

Made by The Cement Tile Machinery Co. 

408 Rath St., Waterloo, la. 



npcrrinfinn — ^ special concrete mixer with hoist, especially 
" adapted to silo builders. A simple batch mixer 

with an open drum that does the mixing always in sight. Easily 
charged and more easily discharged. 

The Winner was primarily built to answer the requirements of 
the silo contractor. It is light and handy to move through the 
country from one job to another, has the mixer and hoist all com- 
bined in one machine. Hundreds of operators in all parts of the 
country have placed their O. K. on this type as a silo rig. It is so 
simple and efficient. 

The Winner 
will mix con- 
crete as well as 
the best mixer 
on the market 
and the hoist 
will not be in 
the way, or 
bother the oper- 
ator when the 
mixing is being 
done. The hoist 
can be used sep- 
arate, or the 
mixer separate, 
or both together 

and neither one will interfere with the w^ork of the other. You 
couldn't buy a separate hoist for anywhere near the price we ask 
for this neat, efficient and durable little rig. 

Write for our Catalog and Prices. 




The Hoist is a single drum, non-reversible type. 



Anderson Rotary Mixer 



It's a One Man Control 



W. H. Anderson Tool & Supply Co. 

182 Brush Street, Detroit, Michigan 

Adantahilifv "^^^^ Anderson Rotary Mixer is without question 
rkuayiaumiy ^j^g ^^^^ ^^-^^^^ most economically operated con- 
crete mixer on the market today, particularly adapted to the 
contractor who wants a portable machine for silo or other small 
jobs requiring a capacity of 75 to 80 cubic yards per day. 

0^ttr*v*inf irkti ^^^^ Anderson Eotary Mixer is a one man con- 
I^CSCripUUIl tj.oi_ Tj^g operator has full control of side 
loader, water and discharge. Mixer is furnished with wheelbarrow 
or batch hopper, or side loader, as desired. Also with or without 
hoist. Frame and truck are 
made of steel. Drum is 36 
inches in diameter, is con- 
structed with heavy cast iron 
heads, with slop rings on 
loading and discharging ends 
cast integral with head to 
prevent wasting or slopping 
of material. Wheels are pro- 
tected by ,mud rings from 
grit and mud. The blades of 
the drum are so arranged to 
give a thorough mixing of 
the materials in a minimum 
amount of time. Has a steel 
driving gear of solid forged 
steel with hardened roller 
steel chain. Novo Engine. 

1^ i The Anderson Eotary Mixer is guaranteed 

Vailai anL66 against defective material of any kind, but not 
the replacement of broken parts when these parts are broken by 
carelessness. We will replace any defective part if said part is 
forwarded to us, prepaid carrier, for our inspection. 

■Q 1 We have studied very carefully the conditions and 

Jtvenia,rKS ^-^q methods of the contractors, being in the con- 
tractors' supply business for 44 years, and we are offering this 
machine to you backed by our guarantee, experience and reputa- 
tion. All these features mean a great deal to contractors in the 
saving of wages alone. The one man control feature alone will 
save 5 to 10 dollars per day in expenses and greatly increase the 
output. 




Ask for the Anderson Rotary Mixer BuUetin 107E. 



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Jaeger Big-an-Litle Mixer 

"A Mix a Minute Kind" 

Made by THE JAEGER MACHINE CO., 

217 Rich Street Columbus, Ohio 

Ruv a RiV-an-Litle Mixer ^""^ ^^'^ ^'^^ ^^^""^ ^^^""^ p°^" 

DUy a Dlg-an-Lllie lYIlXer ^.^^^ advantage you could ask 
for or desire in a mixer, especially a mixer for silo or other 

small construction work. It 

mixes a batch a minute — 

i| \ ^ 5 to 6 cubic feet — mixing 

always open to the eye. 
Charging and discharging 
is the simplest of its kind. 
Its hoist attachment is in- 
dispensable for silo work. 

If you want an efRcient, 
economical and portable 
mixer, get a Jaeger "Big- 
an-Litle." 

PI *i\f*nii ^^^ Drum, of conical-shape, rests on the yoke 

L/eSCripilOIl and revolves around the axis, which is held by 
yoke at an angle. The power to rotate the drum is taken from the 
drive pinion, which has its bearing- in the center of one end of the 
yoke, making it possible for the drum to be discharged while re- 
volving. The Power to drive the pinion is taken from the engine 
by means of gears, which thus produces a positive drive with no 
possibility of break-down. The Outfit is of the best mechanical 
design and construction. It is rigidly braced to insure greatest 
strength, eliminate r11 ■=trnin nnri withstand long-continued rough 
usage, with 
p r a ctically 
n o outlay 
for repairs. 

If you want 
speed, steady 
service and 
correct mix- 
ing, get a 
Jaeger "Big- 
A n - L i t 1 e 
Mixer." 

Ask the 
man who 
uses one. 



Catalog Tells Why ^ 




Archer Special 

Concrete Mixer 

Archer Iron Works rHIPArn 

34th Place and NVestern Avenue V/01V//\\jl7 

An Ideal Mixer for Silo Construction 

The big problem of the silo 
buildei" and the general con- 
crete contractor has been to 
obtain a really portable mixer, 
not too small in capacity and 
yet at a low price. 

The Archer Special Concrete 
Mixer supplies this want in 
every respect. The placing of 
the weight of the heavier parts 
of the machine over the wheels 
allows the mixer to be easily 
lifted at the platform end and 
moved around on the job 
without trouble. 
When moving from 
one job to another 
simply hook the 
platform end onto 
the back end of a 
wagon and "you're 
off." For Silo 
building the mixer is 
specially provided 

with a hoisting drum 
direct connected to 
the countershaft. 

The mixer has a 
capacity of 4V^ cubic feet of wet concrete per batch or G to 7 
cubic feet of dry material. This allows a daily capacity of 50 cubic 
yards which Is the amount we guarantee, although many contractors 
have greatly exceeded this amount. 

The Archer Special mixer is not only adapted to Silo Building but 
is particularly fitted for all classes of concrete work such as Founda- 
tions, Sidewalks, Concrete Roads, Culverts, Bridges, etc. One of 
the chief advantages of the mixer for general work lies in the End 
Discharging feature, which makes it possible to spout concrete direct 
into tlie forms in most cases thus saving the cost of wheeling. 

The End Discharge together with the Portability or easy mov- 
ing feature gives the machine a special advantage over most types 
of small mixers intended for use on jobs running up to 3,000 cubic 
yards or less. While mixing costs vary according to the layout of 
the jobs, the average labor cost with the Archer Special has been 
determined to range around 40 cents per cubic yard of concrete 
mixed and placed. 

Full particulars and prices, write for catalogue E, furnished on 
request. 

The Logical Mixer for Contractors 




THOROUGHNESS 

Concrete in Silo Construction MUST be Thoroughly Mixed. 

The Blystone Shovels, which insure absolutely perfect 
mixing of concrete or mortar. Handle dry or wet, coarse 
or fine material. 




The open drum enables 
the whole mixing- opera- 
tion to be watched and 
controlled. Extreinely easy 
to clean. No attachments 
to eat up power and get 
out of order. Every ounce 
of power mixes. 

Hopper & Son, Manhat- 
tan, Kansas, say: "We 



now^ have in use five of 
your mixers building silos. 
We find it a very conven- 
ient mixer for this pur- 
pose. We are especially 
concerned in a thorough 
mix, light weight for trans- 
portation and moderate 
price. In all these re- 
spects your machine fills 
the bill." 




OVER 1300 BLYSTONES NOW IN USE 



INVESTIGATE AT ONCE 



BLYSTONE MFG. CO. 

140 Second Street Cambridge Springs, Pa. 



IIT" ■ JL Take the M ajority 



Choice— the 



For Silo 

WONDER MIXER 

with AUXILIARY HOIST 




Specially designed for Silo builders, this combination has also 
proved the most popular all-around mixing and hoisting outfit on the 
market. It is extensively used by chimney builders, where condi- 
tions similar to those obtaining in silo work are met. It is simple, 
strong and dependable, and only 12 inches longer than our standard 
LITTLE WONDER "FIVE" mixer, and the hoist adds but 200 
pounds in weight. 

The WONDER has 2% h. p. gasoline engine and lifts 700 pounds 
at 45, or 500 pounds at 60 feet per minute. Where heavier loads 
are to be hoisted, we equip with 4% h. p. engine. Cable capacity 
250 feet of %-inch cable. Hoisting drum has ratchet and pawl for 
holding load at rest, or, by means of the brake it can be "spotted" 
at any point desired. Side Loader can be added to this machine at 
time of purchase if wanted. 

The Secret of Success 

in silo building is the density of the mix — its air and water tight 
quality. Two concerns are each using 40 WONDERS, and several 
20 or more for this reason, and thousands of contractors throughout 
the country testify to WONDER superiority in every essential point 
of mixer construction. 

Send for Our Special Trial Offer 

and catalog of "The Mixers That Make the Money" before deciding 
upon any mixer. 

Branch offices and distributing: depots in New Yorlt, Pliiladelpbia, 
Cliicago and a dozen other Iarg:e cities, also 100 agencies. Write for 
tlie nearest to you. 

WATERLOO CEMENT MACHINERY CORPORATION 

125 VINTON ST.. WATERLOO, IOWA 

Mfrs. Concrete Mixers, Traction Pavers, Trench Fillers and Contractors' Equipment 




Simplex Continuous Concrete Mixer 

This machine combines the rolling principle of mix embodied in 
all Batch mixers, with an absolutely accurate measuring device 
and positive force feed. The revolving cylindrical drum is slightly 
tilted, which allows for a rolling mix and gravity discharge. The 
material is fed into the mixing drum through a three compartment 
hopper equipped with a measuring device and force feeding attach- 
ment which are graduated for any desired proportion. The drum Is 
sixty inches long, and on account of the slight tilt, the material 
falls two inches toward the discharge end with each revolution. 
Water is applied eighteen inches from the discharge end, providing 
for a 21 time dry and a 9 time wet mix before the material is 
discharged. The capacity of the machine is regularly from one to 
ten yards per hour, which may be increased to twenty yards per 
hour. It is equipped with 3 h. p. engine. 

Simplex Batch Mixer 

This machine is constructed after standard principles, the drum 
having special cast heads, with eight gauge boiler plate steel shell. 
It is equipped with regular or batch hopper, and made in either 
side or end discharge type. Capacity, eight cubic feet, dry mix. 
It is equipped with 4 h. p. gasoline engine. 

The Miles Manufacturing Co. 

Jackson^ Mich. 



A Baby Grand on Silo Work 

A Continuous Mixer and a Single Drum Hoist Combined 

HALL-HOLMES MFG. CO. 



509 OAK STREET 



JACKSON, MICH. 



Operation Tlie illustra 

tion gives a 

fair idea of the opera- 
tion of a Baby Grand 
Mixer, with Single 
Hoist Drum, used on a 
silo job. The contrac- 
tors are Arnold Nagel 
& Co., Libertyville, 111. 

Description The Baby 

Grand 

Mixer is universally 
recognized as the best 
continuous concrete 
mixer for all purposes. 
It eliminates uncer- 
tainty. The first batch 
is the same as the 
last. It is built for 
hard service and the 
cost of upkeep is prac- 
tically nothing All 

working parts are completely enclosed in steel housing to protect 

them from grit and dirt. 

FariIiH(>« ^^ ^^" ^^® 

a silo or 
a concrete floor in 
the upper story of a 
building-, a hoist on 
your continuous mix- 
er enables you to 
pour a steady stream 
o f concrete. The 
hoist is mounted on 
the frame of the ma- 
chine and operates 
with or independent 
of the mixer. 

Testimonial 'Z^^l 

bought 
for my Baby Grand 
has given perfect 
satisfaction. Yours 
respectfully, J. L. 
Irving." General 
contractor and build- 
er of Area, Lake 
County, Illinois. 





ASK FOR CATALOG 



IDEAL Concrete Silo Block Equipment 

Ideal Concrete Machinery Co. 

1304 Monmouth Ave. 
Windsor, Ont. Cincinnati, Ohio 

THE PRODUCT — We ave manufacturers 
of the famous IDEAL Concrete Block 
Machinery, both for silo work and 
straight walls. 

THE MACHINE — The illustration in 
the center of the page shows the 
IDEAL Model "A" Silo Block Ma- 
chine, which makes blocks for silos 
having a 5-foot, 7-foot or 9-foot radius. 

Any standard 




THE SILOS— 

The silos possess 
every advantage 
of monolithic 
construction 
with the addi- 
tional advant- 
ages of hollow 
wall construc- 
tion, which in- 
sures a more 
even temperature 

inside the silo 
.and is a great protection for ensilage in freez- 
ing weather. Ideal Silo Blocks have a very 
practical arrangement for placing the rein- 
forcing (see diagram). Every block is perfect 
and true to curvature inside and out and can 
be inspected before placing in the wall. 

LITERATURE — It will pay you to get our 
literature and specifications on the IDEAL Silo 
Block equipment. Send for them. 




66 



IDEAL 



» 



face design can 
be used. The 
machine is sim- 
ple in construc- 
tion and swift in 
operation. The 
same machine 
can also be used 
in making blocks 
for houses, 
barns, etc. 



The most reliable concrete machinery 




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